


Raise Hell With A Saint

by Sephirron



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bounty Hunters, Edeleth, Edeleth centric, F/F, Gunslingers, Western, black eagles - Freeform, byleth has (1) emotion and (0) morals, my doc is titled: i wanna be a cowboy baby, no beta we die like Glenn, outlaw gangs, red dead redemption au, slow burn?, yeehawdeleth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:01:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26465353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephirron/pseuds/Sephirron
Summary: Byleth Eisner is a bounty hunter and expert gunslinger in a changing world where outlaws are being put down under the heel of a new age. She’s offered a job by the Nabateans, a detective agency hired by the government and rich folk alike. The job: a hefty price on the leader of the infamous gang, the Crimson Eagles, a group of criminals that had outrun the law for years. Edelgard Hresvelg was wanted dead or alive. Just another score, another bounty.Until she isn’t.Aka. Western/Red Dead Redemption AU.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 67
Kudos: 141





	1. The Bounty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy!
> 
> I'm super excited to bring you yet ANOTHER project (my brain won't let me rest ._.") inspired by one of my favorite games! Tbh, I just wanted my FE3H kids to shoot guns and rob people with cowboy hats, in the Wild West. In all seriousness though, I hope you all enjoy this little brainchild of mine. 
> 
> Here's a [ Spotify Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4QGKOZVAsbac1zzGY20Brl?si=6AroMg_BR9mjzmEMDUDPOw) for music Inspo if that's your thing! 
> 
> Shoutout to my fellow queer [ Kuro_Ookami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuro_Ookami/pseuds/Kuro_Ookami), for making me this bomb map for reference for this little world I'm creating! Love you!

* * *

Summers in New Garreg were historically dry and hot. The sun was unforgiving as it hovered in clear blue skies and an occasional lucky breeze would pass through the grassy plains. In the city of Valentine, it was mudslicked and loud. Carriage men were shouting in the streets for people to move out of the way, the drunken hollers from the saloon always rattled its windows and would eventually break out into a brawl, and the chatter of livestock filled the air. 

Needless to say, it was a shit hole. The perfect place for wanderer’s to hide out, find half-decent provisions, and cheap dirty fun. 

Byleth Eisner in particular kept to herself as she sat at a quieter bar as she flipped a coin onto the counter and a beer was served. She took a seat in the corner of the room, rocking back on a rickety wooden chair, leather boots scuffing the floor. Her black shotgun coat draped across her form, tattered in a few places and patched in others. A cowboy hat to match covered her messy mop of teal hair, the rim casting a shadow over her brow as she swigged the beer back. 

The only thing that was kept in good condition on her body was the bandolier and holster strapped across her chest and waist, the chestnut leather looking as if it were brand new with an intricately stamped pattern. The revolver tucked into her holster was a midnight blue steel, the barrel a bright silver, engraved in a Victorian weave. From her pocket she pulled out a battered box of cards, the playing cards were swelled and the paint was faded. It was more of an antique than anything functional. She laid the cards out against an imaginary opponent, shuffling them in a bridge fashion, the cards swishing almost too quickly for the eye to see. 

On the outside, Byleth Eisner was a nobody, a traveling lost soul. But when she was sought out, it was never for anything good. 

The swinging doors to the bar were pushed open and it was clear that whoever they were, they weren’t from around there. It was a bit unnerving that they all looked the same - piercing green eyes with hair to match, pale skin, and dressed to the nines in paisley vests, crisp button down shirts, and suit coats and pants tailored to perfection. A woman approached Byleth’s table. She reached a slender hand to remove her derby hat, settling it on the table and her hair tumbling out in waves, the sun filtering through the windows highlighted her flawless cheekbones and full pink lips. Byleth only tipped her head up slightly in acknowledgement. 

“You playin’, partner?” she asked, blue eyes casting down on the cards in front of her. 

The woman tilted her lips up in a smile but it wasn’t sincere. She nodded nonetheless. 

The cards were dealt and all was quiet, save for the coins knocking on the table on their raises. Byleth couldn’t get a read on this woman, her expression was impassable. But she knew a calculating gaze when she saw one. 

The passes were made and hands were revealed. Byleth loved cards and she usually won. 

“Four of a kind,” she muttered, four Jack cards laid out on the table. And then the woman’s expression finally broke as she laid her cards out in a flourish. 

“Straight.”

Byleth looked at her fully then as she leveled the brim of her hat. The woman made no move to collect the money on the table. Byleth sighed, taking another swig of her beer as she rocked the chair back again and looked up at the ceiling. 

“What’s the job?” 

“A job only suited for the Ashen Demon.” 

Byleth peered at her and frowned but said nothing else. 

“My name is Rhea and these are my associates,” she began, gesturing to the tall lanky man and young woman behind her. “We are the Nabateans, we work for the government in hunting down criminals.” 

“So, what do you need me for?” 

“I didn’t think bounty hunters were so adverse to propositions…” 

“I’m not desperate to dive head first into a job without knowing details, Miss Rhea. That’s a one way ticket to hell’s door.” 

Rhea hummed. “Your cautiousness just might be what separates you from all these… savages.” Her hand waved flippantly in the direction of the window, people coming and going on the mud road. “I have a job that’s worthwhile for a criminal wanted all over the country. Her name is Edelgard Hresvelg, leader of the infamous Crimson Eagles Gang.” 

“Seems like a death wish to ask one person to deal with an entire gang.” 

“Your reputation precedes you. Clean jobs, accurate, efficient. Polite even. I’m not looking for a rowdy hotshot gunslinger, I’m looking for a professional.” 

Byleth made a noncommittal noise. Rhea made her final move. 

“The reward on her head is 20,000. And 5,000 for every other member you turn in. Dead or alive.” 

Byleth’s seat rocked back to the floor, the wood thumping beneath her. She cleared the cards from the table and tucked them safely back into the box in her pocket. Rhea only looked at her patiently. 

Byleth nodded, hand extended across the table. Rhea took it firmly and a pact was made. 

“Deal.” 

* * *

The Nabateans discussed the details with Byleth before they took their leave. Rhea had slipped Byleth a piece of paper with an address for her to mail her updates to. Byleth knew at first glance it was a fake name with an address more than likely in a nondescript location but she agreed anyway. She tipped the barman on her way and walked out down the creaking wooden planks that were supposed to be steps. At the post, she greeted her horse who had waited patiently, his tail swishing and gleaming like silk. Byleth offered him an apple, stroking his smooth jet black mane.

“Thanks for waiting, boy,” Byleth whispered to him. “We’ve got another job to do, Jack. But how about we go fishing? What do you say?”

Jack seemed to huff in agreement and Byleth smiled. She hooked a boot into the stirrups and settled into the saddle. She steered the reins and they were off again, Byleth tracing her steps back to a lake she saw on the way. Once she arrived on the shore, she unfastened her pack from Jack’s saddle and left him to wander the grass and water’s edge. From her pack she retrieved a fishing rod and brandished it towards the water, ready and eager to catch all sorts of fish. She was practically jittering in her boots.

The world was quiet around her, the sounds of the water carried gently through the wind along with the rustle of the grass. Byleth kept her eyes on the water for the shadow of her target. She thought about what Rhea had told her.

_“I reckon this Crimson Eagle Gang is like a snake in an oil barrel to you fine government folk.”_

_Clearly the bounty hunter had struck a nerve as she watched their jaws clench but Rhea didn’t act on the bait._

_“Hresvelg has been running with this gang for over a decade, harboring and recruiting outlaws and criminals alike. She’s as sinister as they come.”_

_“What’s she wanted for?”_

_“Robbery, murder, looting, you name it.”_

_“Any leads?”_

_“Their last job was seen in Enbarr. They escaped to The Tailtean Mountains to the north and we lost them in a storm.”_

_“Tailored suits aren’t good for snow and bears.”_

_“Noted,” Rhea muttered, voice sharp._

Byleth vaguely knew where Enbarr was out west and she had the unfortunate luck to be stuck in a storm in the Tailtean Mountains a while back. The worst part was all the lakes were frozen and there were no fish to be caught. Thick snow banks weren’t ideal for hunting either. It was bitterly cold there and the quickest way out of the woods was south, towards New Garreg. It was a long shot but the bounty hunter figured they’d run by this way eventually, if she was lucky. 

It wasn’t that she needed the money, but a job was a job. Money was essential for survival in their world, when the next meal and the next day wasn’t guaranteed. Someone could walk into a bar for a drink and come out with a bullet in their head just because they looked in the wrong direction. 

Killing wasn’t something Byleth really cared about to make ends meet. Being a bounty hunter was nearly perfect. If only it hadn’t felt so aimless. She sighed before feeling the tug on her line. She yanked upwards, hooking her target right in the lip and reeling it towards the shore. She smiled beneath the sun. At least she always had fishing. 

Day turned into night and soon Byleth had a campfire started. The wood blazed into the dark, the crackle combined with the gentle stream of the water. Byleth laid on her makeshift pillow and a blanket made of fur from a particularly vicious bear she encountered. Jack lingered near the water and the sounds around her with a belly full of grilled fish nearly lulled Byleth into a quiet sleep. 

Until she heard the familiar dance of gunshots from the woods nearby. Jack’s head peered up from the water, ears perking at the noise. Byleth emerged from beneath her tent, listening intently on the fight now. She could hear the shouts, both in anguish and anger. 

She hummed to herself as she loaded the barrel of her revolver, spinning it before snapping it into place with a flick of her wrist. She holstered her gun and packed up, loading her belongings onto Jack’s back. 

_This could be my lucky day after all._

From Jack’s saddle, she slung a repeater onto her back before she hopped on. She slipped a bandana up to her nose and pulled on the reins with a quick snap.

“Let’s ride, boy.”

Jack took off in a shot, the dirt trail kicked up in clouds at his strong gallop as Byleth navigated them to the forest. The gunshots were getting louder. She gave a hard tug on the reins and Jack came to a stop. Byleth slid off the back and patted his head softly before taking her repeater into her hands. 

“Wait here.”

Byleth weaved through the trees, boots quiet against the forest floor. In the clearing, she spotted an old run down cabin with bodies strung about beneath tents, over mossy logs, and on the porch. She could smell the metallic tang of blood through the mask on her face. In the center of it all, she spotted three people, all very striking in their own ways. The hotheaded one who’s cheeks were pink from strain and spattered with blood had light blue hair. The quiet one who’s eyes looked predatory, almost like the wolves in the north, ready to strike at any given notice. Then a woman with rose colored hair and seemingly absentminded as she twirled a bloody shotgun in her hands. 

Byleth couldn’t hear what they were speaking about but she watched as the group approached the cabin. Before one of them could open the door, it slammed open, knocking the blue haired one down onto the porch in a thud. A drunken man emerged with a confident snarl on his face as he pointed his gun down on his target.

A gunshot rang out and the fallen boy put his hands up but the impact never came. The group blinked, watching their enemy fall with a round between his eyes, bleeding as he slumped to the porch. There were more angry shouts and two stragglers emerged from the trees. The group whirled around and Byleth already had them in her sights as she breathed slowly. She shot down the two oncoming attackers that were hidden in the forest, stopping them dead in their tracks with well placed head shots. They both stumbled, a stray shot going off as one of them fell. Byleth tilted her head as the bullet breezed past and hit a nearby tree. 

A moment of silence passed and weapons were drawn on the hunter. Byleth was unfazed as she looked at the several barrels pointed in her direction as she put her gun back in its holster. She could see the loyalty and the need to protect one another between the three of them as they stared her down. They were a part of a gang - as to which one she wasn’t sure just yet. 

“Who the hell are you?” 

Byleth inclined her head. She didn’t expect the quiet one to answer first. 

“That’s a hell of a way to greet someone who just saved your skins, partner,” Byleth responded easily. She ignored him and turned her gaze to the other man. “You alright?”

“Yeah, thanks,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his necks, almost embarrassed. ”Felix, Hilda, put the guns down - she saved us. I mean, c’mon, she shot down three of those Agartha boys in _seconds._ She could’ve killed us by now.”

Felix looked indignant and regarded her with one more steely stare. Byleth met his gaze unflinchingly until he grunted and withdrew. Hilda did as well and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“She may have saved us but that doesn’t explain what she’s doing snooping around here, Caspar,” Hilda sang, jabbing Byleth’s shoulder with the shotgun barrel. 

Byleth pulled her bandana down from her face and removed her hat, combing her fingers through her messy hair. She shrugged and leaned on her foot lazily. 

“I was camping out nearby and I heard the shots. Came by to check it out so I could get a good night’s sleep is all.”

“You’re telling me you just willingly came to a shootout? So you could sleep? You’re either an idiot or up to something,” Felix accused, narrowing his eyes. 

“You lot were the ones up to something with all these bodies lyin’ around,” Byleth pointed out. From her coat pocket she drew out a cigarette box and a set of matches. On the rough underside of her boot’s heel, she struck the match, the flame glinting against her blue eyes in the night. She took a long drag of the cigarette and puffed the smoke into the empty air. “I’d get out of here if I were you, the sheriff and his lackeys will come snooping around soon.”

“And what about you?” Caspar asked.

“Don’t go caring about me now, partner,” Byleth replied, flicking the cigarette in her hands as the ash fell to the grass. “Although… if we’re talking about repayment, I might have an idea. Whatever pay cut from this job you just did, I want in. I think it’s only right.”

“Who said it was a job?” 

Byleth nearly rolled her eyes. “It’s either a job or senseless murder, take your pick.” 

The group looked at one another and Felix finally withdrew his weapon. They seemed to be in agreement for the most part. 

“You can come back with us but Boss isn’t going to like us just picking up a straggler,” Caspar said. 

“Oh, Del will be fine, we could always use another set of hands! Skilled ones at that,” Hilda remarked, winking playfully in Byleth’s direction. Byleth paid it no mind and simply nodded. 

“She hates it when you call her that,” Felix remarked.

“What are you, her guard dog now? She’s a big girl, she can handle a little tease here and there,” Hilda waved off. Byleth smirked to herself, she liked this girl’s attitude. As the three spoke amongst one another, she thought to herself quietly. A female boss named Del. Not quite what she was looking for but she figured she would follow where that path led.

_At least I’ll get paid on it. More food for Jack and I is never a bad thing. More bait for fishing too._

“If you’re coming with us, let’s get on with it,” Felix said and the group whistled for their horses. Byleth did the same, Jack trotting out of the forest soon after. The riders cleared out of the forest before the law came to scope out the damage. Byleth trailed after the group in silence, making a mental note of where they were headed. They veered off the road into a dense wood, a ways away from any nearby town. Further down the road, someone was standing guard with a rifle in hand.

“Who’s there?!”

“It’s us!” Caspar called out. 

Byleth could see it then, an encampment. There were tents strewn about, wagons filled with supplies, horses at their posts, and a campfire. Before they could even cross the threshold into the camp, the group was stopped as several more people joined the guard at the front and all eyes were on her. Caspar gave her a sympathetic look before the guard came up to her, his skin as pale as the moon and hair as dark as night. His green eyes tried to wither her down like snake venom but she was unfazed by the whole get up. She slid off her horse and stood her ground. 

“And who the hell are you?”

“You’re the second person to ask me that today, same manners too,” Byleth replied and watched the man clench his jaw. “You can call me Byleth and I’m the reason your friends are alive.”

At that statement, Hilda, Felix, and Caspar slid off their horses as well as another member of their group led their steeds away from the conversation. Eyes were on the trio, looking for an explanation.

“Hubert, it’s true! Those Agartha’s played us dirty and if it weren’t for her, we’d be six feet under for sure!” Caspar vowed, his hands gesturing wildly. 

“Felix, is this true?” Hubert asked, not trusting Caspar at his word. 

Felix crossed his arms and humphed. “Shot three men dead in seconds. She’s skilled, I’ll give her that.” 

Byleth tipped her hat slightly in mock gratitude and Felix continued to look annoyed. Hubert did as well. He turned to her fully again. 

“That doesn’t explain why you were brought back here,” Hubert accused. 

“We owe her, Hubert, you grumpy old man,” Hilda chided, swatting at his arm. Byleth could’ve sworn she nearly saw a vein pop from his temple. “We need people like her on our side. Doesn’t hurt that she’s a good shot and nice to look at.”

If this was the Crimson Eagles, they sure bickered a lot. 

“That’s enough, all of you.”

At the sound of a voice as sharp as a dagger’s edge, heads turned and the group parted like the tides. A woman strode forward, the campfire illuminating her every move that was full of grace and confidence to rival a predator. Her hair was white like the snow-capped peaks of the northern mountains, flowing like rivers beneath a black stetson. Her eyes were a calculatingly cold violet, and the pale skin of her cheeks untouched. She was dressed in a black button down shirt with a wine red vest that had an opulent pattern embroidered in gold. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows that revealed scattered scars, some angrier than others Her pants hugged every curve and tucked into a pair of quickdraw boots.

Byleth never minded people. She usually didn’t pay attention to passerbys or average folk she would come across. It was her job to be observant but emotions usually didn’t exist with them. But this woman wasn’t average and Byleth was struck silent.

She strode up right to Byleth. Despite being shorter, she wasn’t any less intimidating in nature. It was as if her presence alone demanded attention.

“So. Byleth, was it?” she asked, voice quiet but firm. 

“Yes ma’am.”

“Hmph, so you’re capable of manners yourself,” she remarked. “While I appreciate you helping my people out, it doesn’t explain why you’re here. You don’t expect me to believe you giving yourself up to three strangers so willingly just for money off a job.”

Byleth nearly smirked while the trio looked taken back - they hadn’t even gotten to that part. 

_She’s good._

If her inkling was correct, Byleth was riding a fine line between a bullet in her chest and living to see another day. She decided to stick to the truth, mostly. 

“Jack and I have been alone for a long time now,” Byleth said, patting her horse’s neck with a gentle affection. “I think you all know as well as I do that you can only get so far earning money on your own.”

“A wanderer looking for work, is it?” the woman pressed.

Byleth only shrugged. “That’s about right. I was just minding my own business ‘til I heard the shootout nearby. From what I can tell, I chose to save the winning side. Your crew made a fine mess of those Agarthas, as you called ‘em.”

The woman’s eyes only narrowed, searching for something in all the vague ambiguity Byleth put out. She looked to come to a decision then. 

“If someone like Felix can admit your talent, I’ll believe him,” she began. “But if it’s just a job you’re looking for, I’m afraid you won’t find it here.”

Byleth hadn’t expected that. There’s no way she would just let her go, she already knew the woman was too cautious to take such a risk. Byleth could’ve been anyone, ready to rat out their location to the law. In truth, it had been her first plan. 

“But you won’t be leaving either. So here’s the deal,” she continued. “I will give you the opportunity to prove yourself - dealer’s choice. You get me a decent score, you can stay and you can join us.”

“And if I don’t?” Byleth asked curiously. 

The woman’s expression finally changed from her stoicism, a smirk coming up on her delicate pink lips. From a sheath strapped to her upper thigh, a dagger was drawn and thrown in the same breath. There was a thump in the tree trunk behind Byleth and her cheek stung. She reached up on reflex and felt the thin wound, tiny droplets of blood on her fingertips. 

“That dagger won’t miss and I’ll put it right through your heart.”

Byleth had gotten many threats from her marks and they were always empty, tied on the back of her horse and helpless as she hauled them into town, right into a cell. They would shout at her from behind bars, talks of payback and lackeys to eventually have her head. It would be almost insulting to call the woman’s words a threat.

It was a promise. 

The woman turned sharply on her heel back to camp, muttering something to Hubert on the way. That’s when the ropes were put around her wrist and she was led to a tent, being fastened to its post as one of the crew watched over her with a gun in hand. Felix didn’t care for her presence as he made his way towards his tent. Hilda offered her a smile as she passed, joining up with the other girls around the campfire. Caspar looked as though he wanted to say something to her but Byleth only shook her head.

This wasn’t how she imagined the job would start and it wasn’t even remotely close to plan. She hadn’t planned on _joining_ them - this was messier than she had originally thought. She sighed and looked onward. At least Jack was given a barrel of hay to feed on and not tied up like his counterpart. 

_At least one of us is having fun,_ she mused. 

In the distance, she spotted a tent more furnished than the others. A gramophone sat atop a barrel, the music intermingling with the banjo tune being played from the campfire circle. The boss sat on her bed covered in furs with a book in hand, ankle balanced on her other knee as if nothing unusual happened that night.

She had all the cards, all the control. The bounty hunter was subject to her hands. If she tried to run during the score, she’d be shot down. If she didn’t score, she’d be shot down. 

Byleth sighed again. Del, a female boss, leader of a large group of outlaws. 

Without a doubt, she was Edelgard Hresvelg. 

_Damn it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *deep breath* I would like to emphasize: red. lady. hot. Byleth ain't a bad shot either. 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and feedback are always welcome! Thank you for dropping by and reading my work! 
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/EdelgardEisner) for updates! 
> 
> Until next time everyone, be safe, be well! <3


	2. The Score

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth scores, meets an ex-deputy, and saves another life. The road as a wandering bounty hunter becomes blurred and the job gets harder, for reasons she didn't expect.

Byleth awoke to the sounds of morning bustle. She could smell food and the campfire before she even opened her eyes. She blearily blinked beneath the sunlight and flexed her limbs against her restraints. Her wrists and back were sore and her neck was tight. She yawned and stretched the best she could. She heard footsteps approaching on the grass and craned her head up as far as it would go and she was met with emerald eyes and silky brunette hair.

“Good morning, ma’am,” Byleth greeted. “I’d tip my hat if I could.”

The brunette only chuckled and that’s when Byleth noted the metal plate in her hands, steaming with the aroma of the food that woke her up. The woman set the plate in front of Byleth and made her way behind Byleth and the tension was suddenly released in her shoulders and her wrists were free. Byleth sighed and rubbed over where the rope had bitten into her skin. 

“Thank you kindly,” Byleth said then peered her eyes down towards the food. “Is that for me?”

“Figured if you wanted to get that job done, you shouldn’t do it hungry. Bernie’s meals ain’t something anyone should miss out on,” the brunette winked. Byleth looked towards the campfire again, a large pot hanging over the flame as a hunched figure with a messy mop of violet hair stirred its contents. Another gang member had come up with an empty plate and Bernie served them with a shaky smile, eyes immediately darting back down.

“I would thank her but she looks like she’d be spooked more than a baby horse,” Byleth mused, shoving a spoonful of the stew into her mouth. It was delicious. She didn’t remember the last time she had a meal like this.

“You’ve got the right of it. Bernie is softer compared to the rest of us but don’t think you can get away with messing with her.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it, ma’am.”

“Oh, you can stop calling me ma’am, I’m not that old. You can call me Dorothea.”

Byleth gulped down the rest of her food. “Dorothea then. I’m Byleth, but you already knew that.”

“You’re the talk of the crew - not many folk talk to Hubie or Felix that way and get to live,” Dorothea noted, sitting beside Byleth.

“And you? There a reason you’re being kind to me?”

Dorothea shrugged. “Not all outlaws lack manners or decency. Besides, if you’re going to be joining us, I’d rather be on the good side of a good shot. You saved them, it should count for something.”

Byleth hummed. It made no difference to her whether it counted or not but she pretended as if she understood and agreed. She was here to do a job, despite all the obstacles and fine tune details she had to work out to get there.

“S’pose I have to find that score if I want it to count for something,” Byleth said casually. 

“Y’know, for someone’s life being at stake, you don’t seem the least bit shaken. I wouldn’t take the Boss’s threats lightly if I were you, honey.” Byleth shifted her gaze to Dorothea for a moment. Her expression wasn’t accusatory, simply kind. As if she were looking out for her. But that didn’t make any sense - Byleth was no one to her, a stranger. There was no reason to do her any favors. 

“I don’t take anything lightly, Miss Dorothea. There just ain’t no good in stressing over the little things.”

Dorothea observed her for a few moments with a curious gaze. Byleth’s hat was tipped down, a shadow casting over her eyes. She didn’t know if the stranger knew it but her eyes were empty. It was impossible to miss. Their crew had gathered stragglers and wanderers over the years. They all start with the same looks. Some in misguided anger, some in aimless suffering. She wondered which category Byleth fell into. 

“But that’s beside the point. I’m wondering if any of you are riding with me today,” Byleth inquired. “I’m guessing you’re my guard?”

Dorothea nodded. “Petra and Ingrid are coming, too. Your horse seems to take a liking to them. Come on.” 

Byleth stood up and dusted off her pants, stretching out her limbs once again. She followed 

Dorothea’s lead closely, tipping her hat to any of the crew that bothered to acknowledge her. A platinum blonde and a ginger headed woman greeted her brightly with a light wave from the logs by the fire. Caspar passed by her and smiled, seemingly relieved that she was unbound. Felix still didn’t care as he sharpened his machete by the fire to the rhythm of the banjo the ginger haired girl played. Hilda was near Edelgard, whatever she was saying to the leader looked as if it annoyed her. Hilda would poke and jab at Edelgard’s side and the woman would simply huff at her teasing nature but made no move to stop her. Edelgard looked up then, locking eyes with Byleth’s own. Her brow curved upwards in a question and the hunter only looked away. 

Jack looked to be enjoying himself as he snacked on yet another haystack as a blonde woman brushed him with a comb. 

“Glad to see you’re having fun, boy,” Byleth greeted, petting his snout. She turned to the two women that were taking care of him. “You two must be Petra and Ingrid.”

Petra spoke first. “Yes, I am called Petra. Your horse is being well taken care of.”

Byleth nodded. “I appreciate it, Miss Petra. He’s always been a ladies man.”

They smiled slightly at that. Ingrid came forward and tipped her hat in greeting. “You have a beautiful horse. A rare one even. What’s his name again?”

“Jack. Short for Blackjack.”

“Ah, so you like to be playing cards?”

“I guess you’ll find out if your boss lets me keep my neck,” Byleth shrugged. “I hear you ladies are my guards for the day. I’ve gotta say, you’re a lot friendlier than those Felix and Hubert fellas.” 

“That’s just how they are. You saved some of our own so that earns you some points. But in the end, it’s up to the Boss,” Ingrid said.

“You trust her that much?” Byleth asked curiously.

“Absolutely.”

_ Strange, _ Byleth thought. But she didn’t comment on it. 

“Well, will you ladies ride with me? I got a score to find,” Byleth asked, taking Jack’s reins in her hands.

“Where are we going?” Dorothea asked.

Byleth settled into her saddle and loaded more bullets into her gun, being watched carefully under the eyes of the trio. She holstered it and pulled Jack to face the exit to the camp.

“We’re going to pay those dead Agartha boys a visit.”

* * *

  
  
Byleth retraced the path back to the forest with the girls in tow, following closely after her. The trees parted to the familiar cabin and campsite. The bodies were gone but the blood and the signs of a fight still remained. The law had been there to clear out the dead. Byleth doubted they would find much, given the sheriff’s office at Valentine - not exactly the most elite officials. 

She pulled Jack to a stop and dismounted, the girls joining her. 

“Looks like the law’s already been here,” Ingrid remarked. “What exactly are you looking for?” 

Byleth hummed to herself and made way for the cabin. “The law around here ain’t exactly the brightest bunch. But I reckon, a gang of this size would have something lying around.”

Byleth opened the rickety door to the cabin, the smell of booze and cigars in the air. Bottles and broken glass were scattered in all directions, chairs haphazard, and dirt tracked on every surface. Byleth scanned the room and her eyes settled on the fireplace. Petra stood guard on the perimeter and Ingrid looked through the campsite for any leftover supplies. Dorothea watched curiously from the doorway while Byleth dug her arm in the chimney, soot puffing out on the floor and caking her hand. She smiled lightly as she pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. 

The hunter cleared off the table and unraveled the paper. On its page was a railroad map of New Garreg. A dotted line that ran southward was circled and a scrawl of “Cardinal” was written next to it. 

“I’d call the other ladies in here, I think we got ourselves a train,” Byleth said, pleased with her findings.

Dorothea nodded and soon Petra and Ingrid joined them in the cabin as well. Byleth tapped her finger on the center of the circle, remnants of the chimney smudging across the page in black. 

“Cardinal. That name sound familiar to any of you?”

Dorothea and Petra shook their heads. Ingrid however crossed her arms in thought. 

“Aelfric Cardinal - he’s a big shot in the oil industry that’s bustling these days,” Ingrid informed, peering down at the map. “He’s as greedy as they come.”

“There a reason you know that? I didn’t know outlaws kept up with those sorts of things.”

Ingrid’s eyes narrowed at Byleth and the hunter only met it with a raised brow. Ingrid looked as though she sighed before speaking again.

“I was a deputy once. It was my job to know these sorts of things,” Ingrid said. 

“Deputy turned outlaw, huh?” Byleth said noncommittally. But Ingrid had other qualms about her nonchalant tone. 

“It ain’t nothing more than being a glorified bounty hunter boasting justice and law to justify murder.” 

Byleth froze for a moment and relaxed in the same instant. She met Ingrid’s gaze, worried for a split second that she was found out. She decided that she shouldn’t have an opinion on this. Just because Ingrid spilled out her heart didn’t mean she had to. Byleth wondered how this gang eluded the law for so long if there were willing to be this trusting of a stranger. With every bit she learned about them, it only made her own curious despite herself. Rhea had described them as bloodthirsty criminals after all. 

Byleth shrugged. “It ain’t any of my business. But this Cardinal fella, I’ve got business with him. It looks like the Agarthas were looking to hit a train tonight, in a real quiet area too.”

“That’s fine and all, but if it’s a midnight train, it won’t be making any stops,” Ingrid pointed out.

Byleth looked up from the map then, a grin underneath the brim of her hat.

“Then we’ll make sure she stops.”

The trio shared a curious look amongst each other but still followed after Byleth’s lead. They left the cabin and gathered by their horses once again. Byleth pointed out an area on the map, seemingly surrounded by a forest. She tapped the parchment.

“We need a place to lie low until the train rolls by, enough trees to hide a carriage and two horses.”

“Why a carriage?” Dorothea asked with Petra peering over her shoulder at the map, scanning it carefully. 

“Miss Ingrid said Mr. Cardinal was in the oil industry - I’ve seen those oil rigs travel in and out Valentine. Think I fancy having one of them myself.”

“You’re going to rob a refinery?” Ingrid cut in, skeptically. 

“Seems like,” Byleth said, dragging on a cigarette as if it had been a lazy morning. She looked at Ingrid through the smoke. “I’d like you to ride with me, if you’d be so kind. Miss Dorothea and Miss Petra, if you wouldn’t mind scouting that area for us.”

“You can be leaving that to us,” Petra said confidently, patting the area just above her heart. “I would not be thinking of running, though, Byleth.”

Byleth spared her a dry chuckle on an exhale of ash. She balanced the stick between her lips as she settled into her saddle with Ingrid following close behind. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Byleth remarked.

She yanked on the reins and the group split off to their destinations. The day was still sunny and the breeze against the grass was the only sound that filled the air between the hunter and ex-deputy as they trekked on the road to town. It still had its filth coated charm. Further down the muddy trail, Byleth saw the sheriff’s office and a familiar sight. A man was hogtied to the back of a horse and hauled off by another man, decorated in weapons and ammunition. The captive muffled slurs against the gag around his mouth as he was carried up the steps and through the doors. Byleth heard Ingrid scoff next to her.

“Something on your mind, Miss Ingrid?”

“Ingrid is fine,” the blonde replied with no malice.

“Well alright then. Got a problem with bounty hunters?” Byleth continued to ask, her eyes shifting to the sheriff’s office doors. 

Ingrid hummed. “They’re just trying to get by like the rest of us. Some of them are bastards, yeah. Take any fella looking like the poster and the sheriff’s office is happier than a pig in mud. Then innocent folk die while they put on a show.”

“That any different from robbing and shooting folk in the crossfire?”

The blonde looked at her then. Byleth expected her to be angry, ready to defend their creed to the end. But there was none of that. If anything, it was a thoughtful look that passed over her features.

“Maybe not. But if you think we’re just a bunch of murderers, you got something else coming. You can lie in the ground with the Agarthas, then. I simply decided to be honest.”

“Honest?”

Ingrid slipped a carrot from her pack and leaned forward, her horse gratefully taking the food. She stroked its silver mane softly before speaking again.

“That I’d rather rob people that rob other folk than lie about why I’m hanging them.”

Byleth paused, Ingrid not catching the pensive look from the hunter as she continued to tend to her horse. These women made it look easy - to voice their thoughts to a passerby. It was a foolish gamble, for them to trust her simply because she saved the others. It was a wonder how they eluded the Nabateans for so long. For just a moment, Byleth thought this was an opportunity to take her out. If she were to get caught in a shootout, it couldn’t be helped. 

And yet Ingrid’s words continued to bounce around in her mind. She couldn’t pin the emotion she felt when she heard them, something akin to a twang of guilt or a cloud passing over the sun, drifting over her mind like a shadow. It made the hunter square her jaw, these were usually things she never minded herself with. But she let words spill from her lips without a thought.

“And that makes it easier to live with?”

A melancholy smile curved over Ingrid’s lips. A gloved hand passed over her holster, the grip glinting like the silver of the moon. Her thumb brushed over the metal as if she contemplated the ghosts of the lives she had taken with it. 

“Sometimes. And when it doesn’t, the others pick me up. Boss gave me a chance to live the way I wanted and I won’t turn my back on that.”

Byleth didn’t have much time to think about the weight of those words and how heavily they impacted Ingrid’s life. 

“Move out of the way!”

The two veered off the road before a black steel oil carriage passed by, the driver shooting a glare at them. Byleth returned it with a wave which seemed to only irritate him more. He continued his path to the edge of town eventually making his way to the main road back out into the plains. On the back of its barrel, in faded paint, was the word “Cardinal” in giant letters. 

Byleth let the thought of Ingrid’s words pass from her mind as she nudged Jack forward with her heel. “Lady Luck’s being sweet on us today.”

* * *

Byleth and Ingrid had trailed the carriage to the outskirts of town, splitting off into the forest once the refinery came into view. The factory was emitting a plume of smoke into the sky as the grinding of metal and gears sounded through the field. Under the cover of trees, Byleth and Ingrid kneeled in the grass and scouted the area. Byleth drew a pair of binoculars from her pack and scanned along the perimeter of the wooden fence. There were several workers and guards walking about. On the entrance to the left, there were two carriages parked with a small opening in the fence between them. 

“There’s our ticket,” Byleth murmured, offering her binoculars to Ingrid to see the same.

“Hope you ain’t afraid of a little gun smoke,” Ingrid taunted.

“You just worry about yourself, partner,” Byleth scoffed. “We’ll wait ‘til it goes dark and you wait closeby. I hope you’re a good shot.”

“For your sake, you better hope I am.”

Byleth only laughed. 

Day turned into night and the factory went quieter. More workers cleared out leaving a few to stand at their posts by the entrance and the doors to the main building. Byleth rolled her shoulders and leaned her head left and right - the stiffness in her neck cracked. Ingrid got herself ready, mounting her horse and loading bullets into the revolver on her hip and the rifle on her back. They nodded at one another and Byleth slipped her bandana over her face, scaling the steep hill down and crouching. Quietly, she made way to the wooden fence. Through the cracks she saw a guard dog pass by along with a guard. She counted seconds before lifting herself over the fence, the gravel just crunching beneath her boots. Her breathing slowed down as she rounded the oil rig and hauled onto the steel seat. She blended with the shadows and the night and no one spotted her until the snap of the reins struck the air and the horses whinnied before taking off towards the entrance.

Two guards whirled from the entrance, eyes widened in shock.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re-”

Two gunshots rang and two bodies slumped into a bloodied heap. Two rounds were embedded between their eyes as Byleth rolled right past them, a wisp of smoke swirling around the barrel of her gun. There were shouts and guns firing rapidly behind her and the swift gallop of another steed behind her. A masked Ingrid was riding close behind, Jack following her lead. Her revolver was out, bullets flying and hitting their targets square in the chest. Soon Byleth didn’t hear the shouts anymore and she nearly relaxed - Ingrid must’ve taken them all out.

Her shout stirred her out of her dropped guard. 

“Byleth, steer right!” 

Byleth looked up to see a watch tower hidden amongst the trees and the familiar shape of a scope pointed just behind her. Byleth gave a quick snap with her wrists on the reins, urging the horses to move faster. The rig was too heavy for them to weave out of gunman’s line of sight. 

_ Shit, this thing’ll blow if he hits it. _

Then like a flash, Ingrid and her steed were side by side with the carriage. She drew her rifle, aimed, and fired in the same breath without a hint of hesitation. A cry of anguish came from the gunman and the scope clattered from the top of the watch tower to the ground beneath. From there it all went silent. They rode far from the refinery and made a stop in a woody pass. Byleth pulled her mask down and sighed once they rolled to a stop. 

“Thank you, Ingrid,” Byleth breathed. 

“Sure,” Ingrid said with a nod. “You alright?”

“Peachy.”

“You gonna live?” 

“With a shot like you, I might live a few more years yet.”

“Huh, no more mysterious words from a wanderer?” Ingrid tilted her head, a smirk on her face. 

“Seems that way,” Byleth shrugged. “We should find the others.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. Petra’s the best tracker there is, she’ll find us eventually. Let’s get moving.” 

They made their way out the cover of the trees in the direction of the tracks that were marked on the map. Underneath the moon in the distance, Byleth saw an oncoming rider and then the striking mauve braid. For a moment she thought of Petra’s  _ gentle _ reminder of the foolish notion of running. Now, she really wouldn’t dream of it. 

Petra greeted them with a smile. “Dorothea and I were succeeding in finding cover, follow me.”

A little ways from the tracks was another forest and a cabin that was missing a roof and part of its walls. Byleth guided the carriage just behind it and hopped off, dusting off her shoulders and stretching in a catlike fashion. 

“Robbery went well, I see,” Dorothea chimed, greeting the two women.

“I wouldn’t have my skin if it weren’t for Ingrid,” Byleth admitted. “That horse of hers is fast.”

“Leave it to Pegasus to get you out of close calls,” Ingrid said, patting his chest proudly. 

Byleth dug in her bag for a handful of biscuits and offered it to the silvery steed. Pegasus sniffed curiously at her hand and took the food gently. 

“Thanks boy,” Byleth said and offered more biscuits to Jack who waited patiently closeby. She turned to the trio then. “How long before midnight?”

An ornate pocket watch was pulled from Dorothea’s pocket, the clasp flicking open. “An hour. What’s your plan?”

“Simple. The rig goes out on the tracks and it’ll stop.”

Dorothea blinked. “And if it doesn’t?”

“Then the front of the train explodes and it’ll stop.”

The brunette sighed because she didn’t know what she expected. For being an expert shot, Byleth was really nonchalant about life or death situations. Ingrid shared the same exasperated look while Petra only seemed to think about her logic, rubbing a thumb over her jaw. There wasn’t much time to try to figure the hunter out and soon it was ten minutes to arrival. Byleth and Dorothea took their seats on the rig while Petra and Ingrid hung onto the railings. Byleth led the horses just over the tracks, the rig dead center. They all hopped off and began unfastening the horses. 

“Go on, get!” Byleth snapped once the horses were free, giving them a slap as they neighed and took off. The tracks began to vibrate and they heard the chugging of the train making its way down the path. 

“Alright you three, get down and out of sight,” Byleth said, slipping on her bandana once again and climbing the rig. 

“What are you doing?”

Byleth stood high on top of the steel barrel, her rifle now in her hands. The headlight of the train casted a shadow over her eyes and highlighted the outline of her smile through her mask.

“Making sure they see our gift.”

The trio looked at one another before relenting, crouching on the hill as the train only got louder. The hiss of its engine slowed and its brakes screeched to a stop. The conductor made his appearance, nearly stomping off the train and onto the tracks, pointing an accusing finger at Byleth.

“The hell is going on here? Get off the tracks you idiot!”

Byleth spotted Petra on the move, slowly creeping behind the operator. Byleth hopped off from her position, landing right in front of him. 

“Sorry mister, it’s your life or mine,” Byleth said cryptically. She watched his eyes narrow in confusion before Petra put him in an iron headlock. He clawed uselessly at her muscled arm, the curve of her bicep unmoving. Byleth winced slightly and muttered a swear beneath her breath. Soon the sounds of his struggle stopped and his limbs went still. Petra released him and he fell to the ground with a thud. 

“Remind me to never get on your bad side,” the hunter muttered quietly as she carefully stepped over the fallen man. “Mask up ladies, we got a train to rob.”

They boarded the train with Byleth at the front of the line. The cars were mostly empty as they passed through quietly. They hopped into the next car and slid the door open to be greeted with several guards who sprang up from their seats. 

“Down!” Byleth shouted and her gun was drawn, shooting a guard right in the chest. All hell broke loose and rounds were whizzing past, hitting the metal of the train walls and shattering the glass in the windows. The guards seemed to come in swarms, joining the fight in the luggage car they were in. Byleth took refuge behind a wall of boxes with Ingrid kneeling down beside her. From her rifle, two more men fell as the blonde hit her mark right in their kneecaps. The waves of men were starting to thin out and Petra took it as an opportunity to rush forward with Dorothea right alongside her, barrelling into two more guards and running knives through their chests. Ingrid and Byleth followed behind them, exiting the car onto an open cart. That section was a lot more clear and they continued to walk forward to enter the last car before the engine room.

Byleth spotted a shadow then under the faint light of the moon. For a moment, she almost let the cruel fate pass. 

_ Edelgard is the real target - to get to her, you need them to trust you. _

Byleth yanked the collar of Dorothea’s shirt and dragged her backwards and took position right in front of her. Her gun was aimed at the sky and a shot rang out, a guard tumbling from the roof of the next car to the wooden floor below, his gun clattering with him. It finally went quiet and the group relaxed. 

“Thanks for saving me,” Dorothea said, her green eyes relieved.

Byleth nodded as she sheathed her weapon back in its holster. She beckoned for them to move forward as she carefully slid the door open to the next car. It opened to an ornate office of sorts, with soft yellow lighting that glowed over the wine red of the walls and carpeted floor. There was intricate wooden furniture all around with scattered trinkets from silver flasks, expensive cigars, and jewelry. 

The girls were already gathering the loot that was strewn about while Byleth searched. She opened several drawers, pocketing a few bills here and there and any other small valuables she could find. Beneath a cabinet with clear glass, she opened another set of doors. 

_ Bingo. _

In front of her was a heavy steel safe, its dial etched in gold. Byleth examined it closer for a weakness in its latch that she could maybe hammer or shoot through. Dorothea came up and kneeled beside her. 

“Allow me,” she said smugly.

“You think you know how to break it?” Byleth asked.

“Don’t have to. I can make this safe sing,” Dorothea reassured as she leaned her head down close to the safe door. With delicate, bloody fingertips, she turned the lock slowly. Byleth could hear the soft hum of a nondescript tune on Dorothea’s lips as she worked. Not even a few seconds later, the door unlatched with a resounding click and Dorothea swung the door open in a flourish, clearly satisfied with her handiwork. Byleth left out a soft “huh”, impressed. And at the bottom of the safe was a giant burlap sack, stuffed to the seams. Byleth pulled out the bag and untied the twine, revealing its contents as the girls peeked over her shoulder. Piled high were stacks of bills, banded up and ready to be distributed to what was more than likely Cardinal’s employees payroll. There had to be thousands and thousands of dollars - a score if Byleth had ever seen one.

“Well, Cardinal is short on employees now, so I’m sure he won’t mind if someone else gets paid,” Byleth joked as she slung the bag over her shoulder. The outlaws nodded in agreement. Shortly after, Petra made her way to the engine room and started the train as it began to slowly roll away once again on the tracks.

By the time the train arrived at the next station, a sheriff hopped in to shut off the engine. Underneath the glow of a lantern, he found a horrifying sight of all the bodies scattered in every car. Byleth and her trinity of criminals were long gone on horseback with their payout and satisfied smiles. The sheriff stumbled over a fallen guard who was still groaning, a hand clenched over his knees where Ingrid hit her mark. He was bound to bleed out at any moment. The sheriff kneeled down and removed his hat, both in solemnity and respect.

“What happened here, son?” he asked.

The guard coughed and wheezed. In his last words, he rasped, “Demons.”

* * *

The gunslingers rode back into the camp, the campfire in full flare that illuminated the entire space. Heads turned to greet them as they hitched their horses. Byleth could feel all the eyes on her as she passed through but felt a strange comfort with Dorothea, Petra, and Ingrid behind her. They were no longer acting as her guard or her jailers - it was casual the way they walked next to her, as if she were a friend. 

Byleth nearly scoffed at the thought as she strode up to the white tent decorated in furs. She tossed the burlap bag onto the ground at Edelgard’s feet. Edelgard had hummed and snapped her book shut, setting it on the wooden barrel beside her. She leveled her gaze with Byleth and raised a brow to which Byleth only flitted her eyes downwards at the sack, letting her actions speak for her. Edelgard bent down and undid the tie, opening the contents and a collective gasp was heard across the gang. 

Edelgard rose and beneath the firelight, there was the faintest hint of a smile. Out of the bag she withdrew a few bundles and tossed them at each of the girls that were on the job. Byleth caught her stack and Edelgard didn’t miss the slight look of confusion on her face.

“You do the work, you get your cut,” Edelgard said, one hand on her hip. Hubert was already moving, the bag taken in his hands and being emptied into a wooden chest with a heavy lock. Edelgard tilted her head in the direction of the chest. “Then the gang gets its share. Now, who’s the unlucky sod that you robbed?”

“Cardinal,” Byleth said simply.

Edelgard raised another brow as did Hubert from his post behind her. “Aelfric Cardinal?”

“That’s what Ingrid said, yes,” the hunter offered, again. Ingrid nodded along with her and Edelgard looked towards the ex-deputy. Whatever they shared in that brief contact, Byleth didn’t know, but gears were turning in Edelgard’s head. 

Byleth continued her story. “We scouted the old Agartha hideout, they were kind enough to leave us a map. Ingrid and I robbed a refinery to get an oil rig and Dorothea and Petra scouted the area near the train tracks. Rest is history.”

“You forgot the part where I saved your life,” Ingrid reminded with a teasing tone. 

“Yes, Ingrid, I would never forget that. I owe you one,” Byleth relented, taking off her hat and placing it over her chest, bowing in a mocking but playful way. Ingrid only huffed a laugh and gave Byleth’s shoulder a solid punch. The hunter hid a wince. 

“Or the part where you saved mine,” Dorothea chimed in. Petra was nodding along with Dorothea, looking grateful herself. Byleth offered them a smile - the gesture felt foreign that her cheeks nearly twitched from the strain.

“You have talented folks with you, that’s for sure,” Byleth said, turning to Edelgard once again who had a thoughtful look on her face. The leader decided something then and closed the distance between herself and Byleth. It reminded Byleth of how they met but the expression on Edelgard’s face wasn’t nearly as menacing this time around. The wound on her cheek had sealed up throughout the day but she’d never forget the feeling of that memory. 

Edelgard offered a hand with her scattered scars. Byleth took it as they shook, both palms calloused for different reasons, different stories. 

“A deal’s a deal. You can stay,” Edelgard said. “And I’d like to thank you, properly. For saving yet another one of my family. We had to be sure of you, this world ain’t so kind anymore. But if you were willing to risk your neck for strangers, then I’d rather have you on our side.”

“It was no trouble, ma’am,” Byleth said. 

“Edelgard,” the leader countered.

Byleth paused and hid her sigh of relief. “Edelgard, then.”

At that moment, Byleth felt herself be rough-handled, a strong arm coming around her shoulders as she heard an excited, nasally cheer.

“New family! It’s time to celebrate!” Caspar shouted and Byleth winced at the sheer volume of his bravado that was loud enough to shake the forest trees. The others joined in his sentiment as she let herself be dragged to the campfire circle. A beer was shoved into her hands by an exuberant ginger-headed man with a charming smile. 

“Welcome Byleth! I’m Ferdinand, it’s good to have you with us,” he greeted jovially. Byleth clinked her beer bottle against his own.

“Thanks,” she responded.

The campfire circle became lively and soon Byleth was surrounded by the others with a plate balanced on her knees, the delicious smell of Bernadetta’s cooking wafting into her senses. There were stories shared and jokes that made them laugh aloud and a few rough punches thrown in good nature. A banjo tune was playing as a few girls sang along with the melody, clapping to the rhythm. The women were harmonious and when the men joined in, it was off key but the mood was never deterred. More drinks were passed along through the night as their speech became slurred and their movements sloppy.

This was supposedly an illustrious band of murderers, as Rhea had claimed. But it nearly gave Byleth whiplash from her expectations of what they should’ve looked like to what she saw now. Just a group of people enjoying their lives so blindly as long as they were with one another. 

Like a family, if Byleth ever knew the meaning. 

“Boss! Get over here!” Hilda beckoned, waving her beer in the air. Edelgard rolled her eyes but joined in the circle as she stood between the logs with her own drink in hand. She raised her bottle into the air in the gesture of a toast and the group went quiet, waiting for her words. Her violet eyes slid over to Byleth, the hunter met her gaze once again. Edelgard’s demeanor still demanded attention and would always look like she would keep her word on threats.

But knowing what she knew now, Byleth knew some piece of Edelgard wasn’t ruthless. She didn’t know how much of her was and the truth behind her past to cause the Nabateans to seek her out but one thing was clear. This group was her family and she’d sooner run any man or woman through to protect them than give herself up. 

The weight of her gun felt heavy at her side, another memory drifting through her brain again like a shadow.

_ It ain’t nothing more than being a glorified bounty hunter boasting justice and law to justify murder. _

She quickly buried the thought - it wasn’t her job to question her contractors nor their motives. It did her no good questioning herself either, the purpose of what she did never mattered to her. It was just about surviving and getting by, for whatever reason she didn’t know. For years, that was good enough.

But Edelgard’s lips parted and from the depths of that buried thought, a string tugged at her chest, telling her to question, to wonder why for once. For once, to find an answer. 

Byleth was afraid to find it, fear that she’d find nothing at all. To be unable to deny that there really was nothing at the end of the road for her. A wanderer for all her days.

“To us and to Byleth! Welcome to the Crimson Eagles!” Edelgard cheered and the others joined in.

In the chorus of all their welcomes and kind nature, Byleth started to wonder. And for a bounty hunter, that was never a good thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thank you thank you thank you for waiting on this update - my job keeps me very busy :/ But a good 'ol 6k update to make it up to y'all! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed a Doropetragrid focus (Edeleth is coming I promise >_<), I consider them a holy trinity of badassery. More Edelgard moments to come now that Byleth is officially a Crimson Eagle (whether she's okay with that, we'll see). Feedback, comments, and kudos are always appreciated! Thank you so much for reading! Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/EdelgardEisner) for updates & gay chaos! 
> 
> Be safe & be well. <3


	3. The Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls work the town and surprisingly, Edelgard tags along. Byleth witnesses first hand just what it was like to cross the leader of the Crimson Eagles. 
> 
> And the more Byleth learns about Edelgard, the more it confuses her.

It was almost a relief to not wake up bound by her hands and feet but doing so freely with so many people around was a foreign feeling. Byleth sat up from her makeshift bed and tousled her hair before putting her hat back on. She stood up and stretched her limbs then sleepily wandered over to the smell of coffee. A blonde woman was working with a kettle and the flame, she smiled up at Byleth once the hunter came closer.

“Good morning, Byleth, would you like a cup?” she asked sweetly.

“Please, Miss, uh…” Byleth mumbled and trailed off.

“Mercedes,” she finished, still with a smile. 

“Thank you, Miss Mercedes.” Byleth took the steaming mug and sipped, a contented sigh leaving her lips.

Mercedes laughed at this then her blue eyes seemed to examine Byleth closely. Byleth raised a brow at her in question. 

“The wound on your cheek looks better, Edelgard lands pretty nasty hits.”

Byleth grazed her cheek over the sealed wound. “Yeah, I’ll pass on the next one.”

“Well if you ever find yourself worse for wear, come see Annie and I,” Mercedes offered, gesturing in a direction. Byleth followed her hand and saw a tent where Annie was fast asleep, still snoring against her pillow. Beside that tent was a carriage filled with supplies, from what Byleth could see was a various assortment of tonics and elixirs. “We’ll patch you right up.”

“I appreciate that,” Byleth nodded. 

“Byleth.”

Byleth’s head turned at the call of her name from none other than the boss herself, who was stood by the cliffside overlooking the trees. Mercedes nodded at Byleth to “go on, don’t make her wait” and the hunter promptly turned on her heel. She arrived at Edelgard’s side and first the woman said nothing. Edelgard’s gaze was fixated on the expanse of land below, the trees dancing with the wind and the sound of a river rushing past. Byleth sipped quietly at her mug and waited. 

“Now that you’re one of us, I reckon you should know some things,” Edelgard said, breaking the silence. “Starting with Aelfric Cardinal.”

Byleth hummed over the rim as if killing several of his men and robbing thousands of dollars from him was a daily chore. 

“He’s a big shot in the oil industry, expanding further and further east to build his empire. He works his people to death for next to nothing and most of the money goes to the people in his upper circle,” Edelgard scoffed. “You made a good choice. I hope the rat is pacing in his tacky office wondering who stole from him.”

“You think we’re in danger for robbing him?”

Edelgard laughed. “Hardly. His hired guns should stick to dealing with petty criminals if they know what’s good for them.”

“I’ll hand it to you, Edelgard. You’ve got good shots on your side,” Byleth admitted. The next a little quieter, as if she were unsure of it herself. “Good people.”

Edelgard glanced over her shoulder back at the camp, her family moving about with stacks of hay and wood to tend to the horses and the fire. Some were tinkering with their weapons and some were drinking under bright daylight. A tiny smirk came over her lips.

“You’ve got it wrong, Byleth,” Edelgard said. Byleth raised another brow. “We’re not good people, not usually. We’ve robbed, we’ve killed, we’ve lied. In the law’s books, we’re as criminal as they come. We did it to survive, to beat a system that would eventually break us. It don’t make it right but it’s what we have.”

Edelgard paused and stuffed her hands into her pockets as she took a deep breath through her nose when a forest breeze blew by. Byleth glanced downwards at her arms, littered with scars and knuckles cracked from one too many fist fights. It was clear that Edelgard clawed her way through life to be able to stand where she was. But Byleth had turned in many criminals, several of those that had killed in cold blood. Yet even as Edelgard claimed that they weren’t any bit as good, standing beside her didn’t feel simple. It wasn’t as simple as robbing for money, killing for sport, or lying to hurt others. It was as if the leader of the Crimson Eagles didn’t have a choice. Byleth wondered who robbed her of that, if only for a moment. Even though it eventually wouldn’t matter. 

Byleth shrugged with another sip of her coffee. “Makes no difference to me, really.” 

Edelgard looked at her curiously but didn’t comment on it. She switched subjects instead. “You should watch your back for those Agarthas though. Once they catch wind that you’ve joined up with us, they’ll treat you just the same.”

“What’s the story on them?”

“A long one,” Edelgard replied simply, eyes now turned to the sky. “One for another time. All you need to know is that if you kill any more of them, less people are going to suffer.”

Considering others suffering in the midst of rugged survival seemed like an ineffective tactic. But the hunter supposed she was the same - she never cared for things like killing. No one made her think about it as long as they were paying her and had “one less troublemaker of the streets”. She didn’t remember when she stopped caring or perhaps she never did. Too many years had passed and her past was like a dense fog. Best not to wander in it. 

“I always respond in kind to people that like to point guns in my direction,” Byleth said easily, hiding her questions about Edelgard’s weighted words. She remembered Ingrid had claimed that their honesty had separated them from the Agarthas and other senseless murderers. Byleth supposed honesty  _ was  _ a rare thing to come by but whether that was enough to justify crime - she didn’t know. She sipped at her coffee again, thinking and caring about things was starting to get exhausting.

“Good. You should get some breakfast, we’ll be going into town soon. It’ll be an opportunity to get to know the others.”

“Is there another job in town?” 

“Maybe start with supplies first,” Edelgard said, amused. “Surviving isn’t just about money and jobs.”

“Right…” the hunter said doubtfully. “I’ll get to know the others but then when will I get to know more about you?”

Edelgard lets out another huff of laughter that’s mixed with incredulity. Her snow white hair had fluttered beneath her stark black stetson with the wind along with her subtle smile. Byleth had never seen anything quite like it. 

“When you earn it, maybe. Now, get outta here.”   
  


Byleth put her hands up with a now empty cup and backed away as she tipped her hat. She made her way back to camp and in the distance she saw Hubert who was watching her carefully. The green of his eyes reminded Byleth of glass bottles of snake poison that she would see on the shelves. She gave him no more attention than that, instead following the smell of food back to the campfire. 

Bernadetta was over the large pot once again, stirring its contents. On the approach of Byleth’s shadow, she froze and looked up like a rabbit staring down the shaft of an arrow. Edelgard sure had an interesting bunch with her. 

“Er, h-hello Byleth. W-would you like some?” she stuttered. 

“Bernie, right?” Byleth asked instead.

Bernadetta’s eyes widened once more. “U-uh, yes! That’s me!”

“Good to meet you, your cooking is good. I’ve never had a meal like that before. You make this one too?”

Bernadetta smiled shakily. “Yeah. Cooking is all I’m really good at. That and tinkering.”

Byleth tilted her head as Bernadetta served her a bowl of soup. “You tinker with guns but don’t shoot them?”

The girl shook her head. “I’m not strong enough to handle the kickback. But I like putting things back together.” She looked as if she wanted to say more about it but was afraid that Byleth would maybe make fun of her. The hunter didn’t have the heart.

“Well, Bernie, if I find another gun, I’d like to see what you could do with it.”

Bernadetta looked stunned at first and then joyful disbelief. “O-okay!” 

Byleth nodded at her and dug into her food. It truly was better than any meal she would have managed over hunting and cooking it over a campfire. She made her way around the camp, greeting others with a tilt of her hat. Moments later, her attention was caught by a string of curses paired along with a sweet voice. 

“Hilda, sweetie. Would you kindly get your ass out of bed?”

“Geez, Miss Casagranda,” the pink haired girl protested grumpily, swatting at the older woman’s arm. “I wasn’t sleeping, I was thinking!” 

“So while the rest of us are cheating, killing, and lying,  _ you _ just get to think all day?” the older woman scoffed, unimpressed. “Get up, you’re going into town with the rest of the girls.”

“Alright, alright, just lay off for a second, would ya?” 

Dorothea was snickering nearby with a hand over her mouth. Ingrid only looked disappointed as she shook her head while tending to the horses on the wagon they were going to take into town. Byleth watched, mildly amused at Hilda practically rolling from her makeshift bed, tidying her hair as she went. Miss Casagranda took notice of the hunter and smiled a grin that didn’t match her crudeness from earlier.

“Byleth, is it? Are you going into the town with the girls as well?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“You can call me Manuela,” the woman said with a wink. “I’m responsible for keeping rascals like Miss Valentine in line. Maybe you could teach them a thing or two.”

Byleth glanced at Hilda once again who was weaving her rose hair into a side braid that draped over her shoulder. Her shotgun was settled against the side of a wooden box and Byleth remembered being jabbed by the cold steel of its barrel. She imagined Hilda wore a charming smile when she pulled the trigger. Byleth rubbed the back of her neck.

“They’d eat me alive,” Byleth said, giving a shrug with her palms raised in mock defeat. “I’ll try to keep them out of trouble though.”

“Well, if the trouble pays, let them.” 

“Man, ease up,” Hilda cut in with an annoyed look on her face directed at Manuela. “You act like this is the first time we’ve ever worked a town.”

“Then  _ go  _ to work, you brat.”

Hilda humphed and made her way over to the wagon. Manuela was shaking her head and Byleth excused herself to follow after her. Hilda hopped up on the back of the wagon along with Dorothea and Ingrid. They were all chatting about how refreshing it will be to be in a town again, especially after the “blizzard hell” they trekked through in the mountains. Byleth made her way to the front of the wagon and paused at the familiar figure sitting in the rider’s seat. 

“Edelgard? You’re going?” Byleth asked skeptically as she climbed into the seat beside her and took a set of the reins. 

Edelgard crossed her arms and leaned back into the seat. “I work too, y’know.”

“Well, alright.” Byleth snapped on the reins and the wagon began to move. 

“Now don’t let her fool you, Byleth. Once the work is done, watch out for Edie at the saloon. The girl could outdrink a grizzly bear,” Dorothea chuckled from behind. 

“Don’t make any bets either, she’ll run your pockets dry,” Ingrid warned.

“Or pickpocket them,” Hilda added. 

Byleth slid her gaze over to Edelgard who’s expression neither confirmed nor denied their statements. Her poker face was impenetrable and Byleth imagined the amount of people she swindled. How many people she had lured in before they came out the other side with nothing left.

They cleared the forest line and came out onto the open road. The day was mild and the air was quiet as the large wooden wheels of their wagon churned on the dirt.

“Dorothea, want to sing us a song?” Edelgard eventually asked.

Dorothea obliged with a laughter like honey and a singing voice to match. It was a jovial tune, not one that Byleth recognized, but it was pleasant all the same. Ingrid and Hilda joined in, a bit quieter than Dorothea to let her enjoy her spotlight. Edelgard hummed to the tune while drumming her fingers on her knee to the melody. In the midst of the song, there was a shout, a frantic snap of reins, and creaking of wheels. Byleth yanked on the reins and slowed the wagon down only to watch another carriage blow by with the rider trying to slow the horses down. In a clumsy stop, one of the horses broke free from the carriage and trotted away.

“Damn it, get back here!” the man hollered. 

“Hold up, here,” Edelgard said before she was already dismounting the carriage. She walked up to the man and spoke to him. “Hey mister, stay put. I’ll get ‘em back.”

“Oh, thank you kindly.”

Byleth and the girls looked on curiously as Edelgard approached the spooked Shire horse that had galloped off the road. Edelgard walked slowly with her hands raised and Byleth could see her lips moving in what she assumed to be calming reassurances. The horse’s ears twitched and its tail swished in apprehension as Edelgard inched closer. The stressed creature eventually settled and curiously sniffed into Edelgard’s outstretched palm. Her hand patted its snout and stroked down the side of its neck, a few gentle pats given as a reward. She was smiling gently as she took the reins and led the horse back to its owner. 

The rider thanked her profusely while reaching into his satchel, pulling out a few dollar bills and offering it to Edelgard. To Byleth’s surprise, Edelgard pushed his hand back and shook her head, something along the lines of “it’s no trouble”. The man looked surprised but shook her hand to express his gratitude. Edelgard bid him goodbye and made her way back towards the group and climbed back into her seat. Byleth urged the horses forward again and passed by the rider as he waved at them.

“Well, you’re getting to be a real fairy godmother, Del,” Hilda teased, clapping a hand on her shoulder. Edelgard shrugged it off with a huff. 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” 

“That you’ve got a heart, Edie. Don’t go denying it either, we all knew you were a big softie, anyway,” Dorothea said, amused.

“If you lot hadn’t been there, I probably would’ve robbed him,” Edelgard replied.

“Whatever you say, Boss,” Ingrid said with a doubtful humor of her own.

Byleth stayed quiet as they bickered. Edelgard could’ve taken the money that was offered, it wouldn’t have been considered as stealing or robbing at that point, and yet she didn’t. It was clear that she wasn’t truly motivated by money alone, as Rhea had painted her. Rumors and tall tales spun like clockwork in these times. The truth was always somewhere in the middle. Byleth imagined that the middle ground was a dangerous, unstable one. No one earns a 20,000 bounty on their head on baseless accusations alone.

Their carriage rolled into town as men whooped and hollered at them as they passed. Edelgard nor Ingrid gave them the light of day but Hilda and Dorothea seemed to be working the men to their advantage by blowing kisses and waving back. Byleth heard them snicker behind her, conspiring about just what sad fools they were. 

“Take a left here,” Edelgard said, pointing down the main road. When the sheriff’s office came into view, Edelgard jabbed a thumb in its direction. “Maybe you could swing a few bounties while we’re around.”

Byleth held her stoic expression as she glanced over at the sheriff’s door and nodded. “Might be worth a look.”

As quietly as she could, she took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth as they veered off the road to park the carriage. The crew hopped off and stretched their limbs. The girls started to move almost in a prowl, searching for an opportunity to run this town under their heels and fingertips. Edelgard stayed by the carriage for a moment, her gaze turned skyward.

“Something wrong?” Byleth asked, stopping beside her. Edelgard nudged her chin up and Byleth followed her line of sight to the snow capped mountains far north. Byleth had traveled through those mountains but only once before. She’d never do it again. The year round winter’s fangs bit into the lungs and the frigid cold burned on every breath gasped trying to trek through thick snow. 

“It’s strange to think that it was only days ago we were trapped in that blizzard,” Edelgard murmured with a hand on her hip. “We wandered that hell for days.”

“Sorry to hear, it sure ain’t pretty up there,” Byleth said, tucking her hands into her coat pockets. 

“No. Not everyone made it either. We lost Hanneman’s sister, Sarah.”

“Hanneman?” 

“Reverend Hanneman. You might’ve seen him around camp but he’s been three sheets to the wind these days. We had to bury her in the snow on unfamiliar land. I don’t blame him.” 

Byleth said nothing. She had been alone for a long time and she didn’t quite remember what it was like to lose family. Or least she hadn’t bothered to remember. 

“That’s sad,” Byleth said blankly. “Is he still a reverend then?”

Edelgard hummed. “Who knows. I’ve never been the kind to have faith in things.”

“So why does he run with you? No offense.”

Edelgard started to walk on the muddy road and Byleth turned and followed her. They began to climb the rickety wooden steps outside of the general store. The sounds of Edelgard’s footsteps came off as a hollow thump beneath her boots. She stopped on the porch for a moment.

“He saved my life a while back. I’m only keeping my word.” Edelgard tipped the brim of her hat forward. “Besides, Sarah wouldn’t want to see the old fool so alone.”

Byleth wondered if it was just Sarah that might’ve thought that way. That maybe someone else in Edelgard’s life long lost had given her such a sentiment before. She didn’t have time to dwell on the thought when Edelgard started to walk forward again. She raised her hand and waved Byleth off.

“Go help Ingrid, would you? We need supplies from the general store,” Edelgard asked, though it wasn’t a request. Without hearing Byleth’s answer, Edelgard walked away further into town. Byleth sighed and opened the door to the store, the clerk greeting her with a “howdy”. She spotted Ingrid scanning the shelves as she took several different items into her arms. From canned food, tobacco, coffee grounds, tonic, and biscuits. Ingrid noticed her after she had a full bundle in her arms.

“Hey Byleth, you mind grabbing a few more supplies?”

Byleth looked at the wall, lost. “Like… what?”

Ingrid stared back with a furrow in her brow. “...Food, for starters?”

Byleth reached for a random canned package off the shelf and flipped it in her hands. She squinted at the text as if extreme focus were enough to decipher it for herself. Luckily, there was a distinct picture of a few tucked in a row. Byleth frowned. Canned fish sounded awful, she’d rather catch it from the river. She put the can back in disgust and browsed the produce instead. With an armful of fruits and a few containers of what she recognized to be crackers, she joined Ingrid by the register. 

“That’ll be five bucks.”

Ingrid didn’t blink and pulled the bills from her satchel as the clerk packed their supplies into a wooden crate. Ingrid thanked him and hauled the box out the door as Byleth followed her back to the wagon. As Ingrid loaded the supplies, Byleth spoke up.

“I’m surprised we didn’t just take it.” 

Ingrid huffed as she pulled a glass bottle of whiskey from the crate. She jumped up and sat on the back of the wagon with her legs swinging freely above the ground. She scooted over and patted the space beside her as she uncorked the bottle and took a swig, the amber liquid glinting beneath the sun. She offered the bottle to Byleth after and the hunter obliged, savoring the familiar burn on her tongue. 

“For someone that’s been living on their own, I’m surprised you’ve made it this far with that sorta thinking.”

Byleth passed the bottle back and Ingrid knocked back another. “What do you mean by that?”

The bottle passed between them several more times in their conversation.

“I mean, being outlaws don’t mean taking what you want when you want it. There’s a time and a place for these things. That man in there was just trying to get by. He ain’t harming anybody.”

_ Rob people that rob other folk, like Cardinal, huh.  _

“And,” Ingrid continued. “If you’re going to rob him, at least do it at night. Less chance of a shootout.”

Byleth chuckled lightly at that. “I see your point.”

They idled by the wagon for a while as they waited for the girls. Edelgard had approached the wagon and accepted the bottle that Byleth offered. Byleth stared at her for a moment as she watched Edelgard take several gulps and pull the bottle away without so much as a wince on her face. Truthfully, she looked refreshed. Byleth shook herself out of her daze and convinced herself that the hazy feeling in her head was the whiskey talking. 

“Looks like a good haul there,” Edelgard remarked, finishing off the bottle. “Where’s Hilda and Dorothea?”

“Last I saw ‘em, Dorothea was looking into what she could find out around town. Think I saw Hilda taking advantage of some drunk fool,” Ingrid said, resting her chin in her palm as she leaned against the side of the cart.

“Why?” Edelgard asked incredulously, her eyes narrowing.

Ingrid shrugged. “You know them.” 

Edelgard sighed, dusted off her shoulders, and rolled her neck. “Well, I’ll go see if there’s any trouble.”

From afar, Byleth spotted the familiar brunette hair in a wine red gown that she chose to wear instead of her shooter’s fit today. A man was dragging her away with a fist clamped over her wrist.

“Edelgard-”

Edelgard had already spotted her before Byleth could complete her sentence. Ingrid was halfway off the wagon, a hard look on her face. Edelgard raised a hand at her and shook her head. Ingrid’s jaw clenched but she relented anyway, sitting back down. 

“Pardon me,” Edelgard said quietly as she stalked off across the street. The unfamiliar man had pinned Dorothea against a wall, shouting a string of threats at her. Dorothea struggled against his hold and it didn’t stop until Edelgard had approached them and barked with a growl in her voice.

“Hey! Get your filthy hands off her,” Edelgard threatened. 

The man whirled around and glared. But upon the sight of onlookers he backed away slightly though he still held his ground.

“Who the hell are you?”

Edelgard smirked, twisting and adjusting the thick silver rings on her fingers. She rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, her forearm flexing underneath her scattered scars. She strided over to him with no falter in her step and caused him to back up further into the alley away from prying eyes. She could feel the sickly warm breath from him that reeked of alcohol and smoke. 

“You don’t want to find out, mister,” Edelgard murmured. The man winced as he felt something dig into his stomach and he looked down to see the barrel of a sleek silver revolver with a pearl grip. Her finger was half way pulled on the trigger.

“You’d kill me?” he asked with a laugh, though Edelgard could hear the nervousness in it. “In front of all these people?”

The gun dug in further and he grunted in pain.

“Don’t go thinking that your life matters to me, boy.”

The man gulped and backed away. He tossed an angry glance in Dorothea’s direction, pointing an accusing finger at her. 

“This isn’t over, Arnault.”

“Oh, get out of here you god-damned snake!” Dorothea spat, pushing herself off the wall and joining Edelgard’s side. The man looked between the two women and snarled one last time before fixing his coat and walking off. Edelgard heard Dorothea sigh in relief beside her.

“Thanks, Edie.”

“You alright?” 

Dorothea dusted off her shoulders and straightened out the skirt of her dress. “Thanks to you. Is it wrong that I’m glad you didn’t kill him?”

Dorothea would’ve stayed by Edelgard’s side no matter how she decided to handle the situation. But Dorothea had been with Edelgard for as long as they could remember and a part of her hoped that Edelgard didn’t have to be coated in any more blood. A hopeless dream, really, given their goals. Dorothea still wished for it, for a life that was a little easier on the both of them. 

“Under different circumstances, I definitely would have,” Edelgard said with a smirk. “But yeah, me too. Ingrid’s waiting across the street, you should go to her so she knows you’re okay.”

“Right.”

The pair emerged from the alleyway and the townsfolk carried about their business. Dorothea made her way across the street much to Ingrid’s relief. The ex-deputy immediately hopped off the wagon once again and stood to greet her, taking Dorothea’s hands in her own and rubbing a thumb over her knuckles. Dorothea gave her a glittering smile all the same as if the whole event never happened. Edelgard smiled at them across the way and then noticed a certain shotgun coat that leaned against the brick wall of the building next to her.

“Keeping watch, are we?” Edelgard asked the hunter. Byleth pushed herself off the wall with her hands in her pockets.

“Just wanted to make sure there wasn’t any trouble is all.”

In truth, Byleth was surprised she didn’t kill him. Her thumb grazed over the closed wound on her cheek once again. She supposed threats did go a long way, too. She heard Edelgard sigh and watched her look up at the sky. 

“Well, luckily the man wasn’t a complete fool.”

Byleth nodded. He was very lucky indeed. But she heard the way he threatened Dorothea, as if he knew her. She just hoped they wouldn’t come to regret not putting him in the ground. 

It was moment’s later they both froze after hearing the signs of a commotion coming from the shoddy hotel. That and the sounds of a woman’s yell. Edelgard’s face went rigid as she walked briskly into the building. The hotel owner greeted them and Edelgard wasted no time with pleasantries.

“Did you see a woman with pink hair come through this way?”

“Well, yes, I lent her and a gentleman room 2B.”

Edelgard was already up the stairs before he had a chance to finish his whole sentence. Byleth was hot on her heels though she had time to nod at him with a thank you.

“Ma’am, please, don’t cause any trouble!”

Byleth heard Edelgard mutter under her breath. “No promises.”

With a sharp turn down the hall once they reached the top of the stairs, they heard a struggling shout of a “get off of me!”

“I’m getting what I paid for!”

Edelgard had already heard enough and Byleth wasn’t about to stop her. With a powerful kick, Edelgard kicked the door open and the loud bang caused the drunken man to spring back. 

“Hey!” Edelgard shouted.

“Who the hell are you?” the man slurred at her, swaying on his feet.

“Friend of hers. Keep off her,” she said lowly.

“Well, I paid!”

“You ain’t paid to hit her, you lowlife animal.” 

Byleth helped a fallen Hilda off the ground. She looked alright save for her slight disheveled hair and the slight cut on her lip. Byleth looked up and watched the drunkard take a wild swing at Edelgard. The woman ducked beneath the swing and struck him right in the solar plexus. The man coughed loudly and took another swing. Edelgard raised her arm in a block before she followed with a sharp right hook into his jaw, the rings on her knuckles tearing at his skin as his body fell with a thud to the wooden floor. 

“Waste of my god-damn time,” Edelgard spat, adjusting her rings once again. She left him there and turned to Hilda who had been fixing her hair with an indignant huff. 

“You okay, Hilda?” 

Hilda sighed as she glared at the fallen man on the floor. “I’m fine, Del. Thanks. I don’t like being saved much but I’ll make an exception for you.”

Edelgard rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “Just what were you thinking?”

“He kept boasting about the bank and I was trying to see if I could play him a bit more. This is the last time I let Miss Casagranda have me leave my guns behind. I would’ve had him dead and robbed.”

Byleth winced behind her. These women weren’t a joke. 

“A bank?” Edelgard repeated.

“I know small town banks like this usually ain’t worth it. But livestock towns have a lot of cash sometimes.”

Edelgard hummed, rubbing her fingertips on her chin in thought. “Could be worth looking into. Keep at it.”

“You got it, Boss,” Hilda sang and exited the room to rejoin the girls across the street. 

Byleth and Edelgard stood quietly for a moment. Then Edelgard made her move about the room, finding the man's clothes strewn about on the other side of the bed. She dug through the coat pockets, turning up a handful of bills and some silver jewelry. Edelgard shrugged and pocketed away, anyway.

“He’s hardly worth robbing but no use in him keeping it either.”

“Your hand okay?” Byleth asked instead, unconsciously grabbing it and bringing her knuckles closer to her face. Edelgard’s hand stiffened but she let Byleth turn her hand this way and that for any signs of bruising or cuts. As if it had been her first scrap and she was a stranger to drunken fights. Byleth didn’t take notice of what her actions could imply. 

She dropped Edelgard’s hand and the woman let it fall to her side.

“You could’ve hit him with your gun - less damage to yourself,” Byleth advised. Not that she cared - it was only logical. 

Edelgard blinked at her and stared at her for a moment. Byleth gazed back curiously. Was it something she said? Edelgard came back to herself and chuckled, which confused Byleth even more. This woman had so many sides to her. 

She looked kind of pretty this way, with a smile on her face. 

“But then my gun would get blood on it,” Edelgard offered, still laughing. 

Byleth sighed and peeked down at the gun in Edelgard’s holster. It was a nice gun. She would humor her just this once. Cruelty didn’t need to fill every aspect of the job. Just this once, she would act like she understood and share a moment with her that would mean more to Edelgard than it ever could for her.

A huff of laughter escaped her lips. “Yeah, you’re right, Boss.”

They left the building after and nodded to the clerk on the way out. Edelgard had led the way and rejoined with the girls by the carriage. They were talking about something, something that Byleth wasn’t paying attention to. She just looked at the four of them amongst themselves. It had only been a few hours but she had witnessed things about them that she found curious.

Dorothea loved to make safes sing but she could fill the air with melodies that could only have come from times of peace. 

Ingrid lived by the law one point in her life and in some ways still did, though Byleth could never see her leaving their group behind.

Hilda liked to act high and mighty but in truth, she only trusted very few to keep her safe. Deep down, she cared for all of them. 

And Edelgard.

_ Edelgard… _

It was then rapid hooves on the ground approached them and a high whine pierced the air as they all turned in the direction of a breathless Caspar. He dismounted quickly, his hands on his knees as he fought to catch his breath. 

“T-they… they took…”

Edelgard kneeled down close to him and put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “Breathe, Cas. Slow down.”

Caspar breathed a little slower, filling his lungs with much needed air. His head snapped up moments later and his ice blue eyes were frantic. 

“Bounty hunters,” he gasped. Edelgard’s hold on his shoulder tightened. “They took her!”

“Took who, Cas? Get your head on straight,” Edelgard urged, her jaw tightening. He finally shook his head and snapped out of his stupor. 

“They took Lysithea!”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo!
> 
> Thanks for waiting patiently on this chapter update! I hope you enjoyed the little tid bits of different members of the Crimson Eagles. And a little bit more about who Edelgard actually is. 
> 
> And thus I leave you on a cliff! Stay tuned! Kudos, comments, and feedback are always appreciated <3 Be well & stay safe.


	4. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth is sent to rescue Lysithea who’s been taken for a bounty, tipped off by an enemy of Edelgard’s past. 
> 
> Byleth learns about a bloodsoaked debt and the path Edelgard plans to walk. 
> 
> tw: blood

They had returned to camp quickly with supplies in tow. Caspar was winded from how fast he rode and the wounds he sustained. He was led over to Annette and Mercedes with the help of Ingrid and Hilda, his arms slung over their shoulders. When they asked him how it had happened, he had told them Lysithea had wandered off. 

“M’sorry boss, I should’ve kept a closer eye on her,” Caspar muttered as he was laid down on a mat, his injuries being assessed. Byleth noted the several bullet grazes across his arms and legs, some deeper than others. Whoever he encountered were not the best shots but where they lacked in accuracy they redeemed in numbers.

Logically, they shouldn’t bother to go after her. It was one to save the many. Byleth already knew Edelgard was churning plans in her head on how to do so, anyway. 

“It’s alright, Cas. Just rest. We’ll get her back,” Edelgard vowed before turning. 

Byleth followed close behind the frustrated leader as she strode up to Hubert who had been speaking with Ferdinand - no doubt about their next move.

“Do we know who took her?” Edelgard asked, her voice firm and on the edge of aggression.

“We aren’t sure yet, Edelgard,” Ferdinand replied, his thumb on his jaw in thought. “Could be the Agarthas, could just be some bounty men looking to cash in.”

“Well that’s where the problem lies, isn’t it?” Edelgard retorted which made Ferdinand flinch.

“What do you mean?” Byleth interjected, hoping to rope in the tense mood.

Edelgard let out a huff and set her hands on her hips. “We picked up Lysithea while we were looking for shelter in the Tailtean Mountains. The Agarthas decided to make themselves at home on her family’s land. They shot and killed ‘em all except her.” Edelgard grinded her jaw and Byleth could see she was frustrated, even disgusted. “So, did the Agarthas give out a tip somehow or did they take her as bait?”

“Or the Nabateans have us in their sights again?” Hubert added cryptically. Byleth convinced herself that she imagined the pointed look that he gave her. 

“That Rhea is a fool,” Edelgard scoffed. “She couldn’t keep with us all these years and she isn’t about to start now. We’ll get the quickest answer when we find Lysithea. Byleth, you’re coming with me.”

Byleth’s brow rose while Hubert was painted with an incredulous look.

“Madame Edelgard, I must object. Surely, you could send someone other than yourself to retrieve her?” Hubert suggested, his snake-like gaze slithering over to Byleth. It wasn’t to be mistaken as anything else but threatening. Byleth resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “We shouldn’t trust her so quickly, either.”

“Are you doubting my decisions again, Hubert?” Edelgard challenged as she rose to full height. The gravity in the air seemed to cave at their very feet. With the way she saw Edelgard fight back in town, her words were hardly empty. They were pointed, dangerous, and if caught on the wrong side, inevitably painful.

“It’s isn’t that, Madame, I assure you. Just given our situation, I would feel better if you were hidden and not put at risk with someone we’ve known for a few days. You’re a wanted criminal.”

“You talk to me as if I don’t know what’s at stake,” Edelgard replied flippantly. “I can handle myself. Byleth, we’re going.”

Edelgard turned hotly on her heel towards her horse and Byleth only shrugged at the two men that had identical frowns on their faces before she joined her. She settled into Jack’s saddle and reared him towards the path. Edelgard’s horse, The Empress, was an impressive steed. Her mane was a full white, that gleamed like the silver of her rider’s hair. A rarity that Byleth found herself impressed by. 

“Do you even know where we’re going?” Byleth asked as Edelgard took the lead. 

“Caspar took Lysithea hunting out east - get her used to the guns and what not. If it’s hunters that took her, they’ll want to turn her in to the nearest town to collect their money as quickly as possible. They can’t be that far from Valentine,” Edelgard explained as she urged her steed forward, faster.

“So we’re just gonna blow up every camp we come by?” Byleth had taken several jobs in her lifetime but she was always at least given a lead or starting point. East was vague, the plains were almost as wide as the sea. Edelgard tossed a smug look over her shoulder, the brim of her hat casting a shadow over her mischievous lilac eyes. 

“Petra ain’t the only tracker in the group, you know. You think I got by all these years covering our tracks without knowing how to find somebody?” 

Her confidence alone could convince a nation. 

“... I guess not. But what if it ain’t hunters, what if it’s those Agartha folk you keep going on and on about?”

“Then I’ll kill every last one of them,” Edelgard muttered dangerously, her voice rough with a deep-seated hatred that Byleth could feel like an angry fire. And Byleth shouldn’t care, whatever Edelgard’s reservations were with these people, it shouldn’t matter to the job. 

If she would keep fighting them, however, she supposed that maybe she should. For survival, if anything.

“Edelgard, what did they do to you lot?”

A cloud had passed over the sun overhead and a loud wind blew by, mingling with the trot of Jack and Empress’ hooves. 

“They took something from me and I intend to collect,” Edelgard said cryptically but it left no room for Byleth to press on it further. Whatever and whoever they were, they had their dues to the Crimson Eagles that Byleth figured would cost no less than every one of their lives being buried in the cold earth next to the devil's door. 

They rode a ways out from camp and passed by several thick forests that would make perfect homes for hiding a bounty. But Edelgard didn’t give any of them a second glance as they went. 

“Whoever it is better not have put a scratch on her.”

“She’s worth more alive than dead,” Byleth said automatically, which earned her a leer from Edelgard.  _ Ah, _ a thoughtless thing to say. She amended, “Which means she’s in one piece.”

Edelgard huffed and Byleth said nothing else, in consideration that she could’ve said something worse. 

“I shouldn’t have sent her out,” Edelgard admitted after awhile. Byleth turned her head as the leader exhaled. The woman looked remorseful and Byleth was left curious. “She’s been going on and on about not being treated like a kid. She hates kitchen duty, wanting to ride with those trigger happy fools like Felix and Caspar.” Edelgard had sounded exasperated but the slight smirk betrayed how fond she was of them. “She’s been dying to prove herself since she joined, prove that she was good enough.”

A sigh escaped her lips when a ghost of a memory passed over the violets of her eyes. 

“I just thought I’d give her a chance, start with somethin’ small. I didn’t think she’d act this recklessly.” 

In truth, Byleth didn’t know what to say. She imagined that many of the Crimson Eagles had joined because they were given the choice. She remembered what Ingrid had told her, how Edelgard had given her the chance to live how she wanted. But what was there to want from this life? 

She never troubled herself with the reasons for it - it didn’t change the outcome on how their lives would end. She had seen her own father given many chances, a chance to change the way he had lived. Maybe at one point, somewhere deep in the fog, she wondered if he had died with regrets. But life was a gamble after all, no amount of good or bad would change the fact that it all ends.

Sinner or saint, it was all the same. 

She patted the side of Jack’s neck and hummed, a fleeting thought on the breeze that carried into her voice. 

“I’m not really the type of smart for these sorta things, Edelgard. But I reckon she’s happy you gave her the chance,” Byleth said plainly. Maybe being happy made it easier to die than a life of misery. She had never experienced either extremes. Her blue eyes flickered as she stared straight ahead. “Maybe.” 

It was Edelgard’s turn to carry on in silence and they remained that way under the clear sky for a few miles more. Eventually, Edelgard veered off the side of the trail and pulled her steed to stop, just before another line of trees. Byleth paused and watched as Edelgard dismounted, crouching low to the grass and running her fingers over the dirt.

“These are Max’s hooves,” Edelgard said finally.

“Max?” Byleth echoed, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her coat as she leaned over Edelgard’s shoulder to get a closer look. 

“Caspar’s horse, Maximus, the big guy. Not a whole lot of horses out there that leave an impression like that. We’re close.” Edelgard jabbed a thumb towards where the tracks had trailed towards them. 

Byleth turned her gaze to the forest ahead of them and then upwards towards the sky where a billow of smoke from a campfire had risen. A good place to start as any - Edelgard wasn’t a half bad tracker after all.

“We’ll leave the horses in the shrubs.” Edelgard had tugged on Empress’ reins and led her over to where the trunks of the trees had obscured her. Byleth followed suit, patting Jack on the length of his neck, with a soft,  _ wait here, boy.  _

When she had turned, Edelgard was loading bullets into the cylinder of her revolver, a flick of her wrist snapping it back into place with a click. She spun it on her forefinger before holstering it once again in one fluid motion. 

The color of her eyes between the shadows of her hat and the black bandana pulled over her nose was striking, like a cut of silver in a midnight cloak. Most gunslingers Byleth had ever come across were as loud as the shoddy weapons they waved around, half-soaked in booze, and a dirt-caked smile to match. Byleth would hardly blink in their direction when they tried to garner her attention, often robbing them dry in a poker game they couldn’t stand to lose. But Edelgard was quiet, finessed as though a gentle breeze had passed through each blade on the grassy plains, creating waves like ocean tide. But like the ocean, she was quick to crash onto the shore in a swirling storm, rumbling the earth with icy tendrils of the unforgiving depths. Byleth wondered how many unlucky souls drowned with a bullet in their chest before she revealed her cards in a flourish. The black and red suits of her royal court. 

She followed after the Crimson Eagle’s leader with her rifle in hand, slowly weaving through the trees to the smoke pillar. As they got closer, Byleth could hear voices. Gruff men hollered and laughed, the sounds of glass bottles on wood thumping like drums, making the birds scatter away. Through the irritating chorus of chatter, Byleth heard a female voice as a messy campsite came into view. 

“You’re going to pay for this! Have you ever heard of the Crimson Eagles? You have hell coming your way!”

Byleth didn’t need to look to know that Edelgard was exasperated. 

“Stick of dynamite, that one,” Byleth mumbled beneath her mask. Edelgard granted her an eye roll.

“The  _ Crimson Eagles? _ ” one of the hunters mocked. “What a load of shit.”

“I’m shakin’,” another one guffawed, taking a swig from a silver flask. He wiped his mouth with a tattered sleeve. “Gotta admit though, that tip from that Volkhard fella was a good one. Your gang ain’t worth more than the dirt on my boots, but hey, if it pays.” He crouched down to Lysithea’s height, where she had been bound to a makeshift post. She scowled at him as he roughly grabbed her jaw with calloused fingers. He practically cooed, “Be a good girl, it’s just one of them things.”

The other hunter walked up behind him, nudging him with his foot impatiently. “C’mon, I’m bored listening to this bitch. Let’s drop her off at town, get us that money.”

Somewhere, the tide crashed and the ocean roared. On her peripheral, Byleth saw the twirl of bladed steel between steady fingers. Then, Byleth watched that same hunter fall to Edelgard’s spearhead dagger. The metal struck a sharp chord as it soared through the air and into his neck. The camp whirled around, startled at Edelgard’s sudden onslaught.

“Shit! Her friends are-”

The pearl grip of her gun was in her hand in a flash and Edelgard shot his words dead through its beating heart, her eyes glinting dangerously through the smoke of her barrel. Byleth hissed beneath her breath, using the tree as her cover as the bullets rained down. She aimed and shot quickly before shielding herself again. Edelgard surged forward from her hiding spot before it was clear and Byleth cursed.

“Edelgard, where the hell are you going?” Byleth called after her as she shot down another on the far side of the camp. Edelgard had ignored her and she skidded to a crouch by one of the hunters. With a grunt, she unsheathed her dagger from his neck before throwing it once again towards one of the men that tried to ambush her from behind a tent. 

“ _ Fucking hell.”  _ Byleth winced as she glanced at the knife between his eyes. She was lucky to get out alive with just a graze on her cheek. The hunter sighed and looked through the sight of her rifle, just clipping the last hunter in the shoulder as he cried out. Edelgard pressed on the attack and in a full sprint, she tackled the last one of the hunters down. His head knocked against the forest floor - he barely had time to groan before Edelgard shoved her forearm into his throat, her scars shifting beneath the flex of hardened muscle. A knee drove into his gut and he gasped in pain. 

“You better have an answer for me, partner or I’ll have you six feet under faster than your mother drank herself drunk for giving birth to a  _ parasite _ ,” she threatened lowly, a growl ripping on the edge of her pointed words. 

The man whimpered which devolved into a wheeze as he nodded desperately. 

“Volkhard gave you that tip. When?” She lifted her arm just enough for him to breathe and he sputtered out his answer.

“About a week ago. He came into town looking for bounty hunters and, and-”

She pressed down on his windpipe once again, interrupting him. Her patience was dwindling. “ _ Where  _ did he go?”

“I-I don’t know,” he gurgled. “T-they left, a whole b-bunch of ‘em. S-s-south maybe!”

His face was going pale as he gasped for air but Edelgard stayed rigid like stone. Byleth treaded carefully into camp, kneeling beside Lysithea who had her eyes screwed shut. She slipped a knife from her belt to work on the ropes. From there, she watched Edelgard lift her arm away. The man sighed in relief. But the bounty hunter knew, there was something in Edelgard that had snapped and there was no way in hell or high water she would let this man live. 

Out of instinct or maybe because of how small Lysithea looked in that span of time, Byleth covered Lysithea’s eyes with a gentle palm. A young girl out for vengeance maybe, looking to prove herself, sure. But she was still a kid. 

Lysithea didn’t protest and Byleth said nothing.

And Byleth didn’t avert her gaze when that moment of peace was short-lived. The man’s fresh air was robbed and only mere seconds had passed before Edelgard pressed the barrel of her gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger.

“Pathetic,” Edelgard spat as she rose up from his motionless body. She turned and her mask was pulled down with bloodied fingertips as she tilted her head towards the sun. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, the rigidity in her body ebbing away. Edelgard walked over to them and crouched down, watching Byleth’s hand drop. She nodded in thanks and Byleth still didn’t say a word. 

Edelgard noted the light spatter on Lysithea’s cheeks and pulled a silk handkerchief from her vest pocket. She wiped at Lysithea’s face as the younger woman scrunched her nose indignantly. It was an unusual sight. Edelgard’s scarred and pale complexion was mottled in red from her hands to her arms. Yet Byleth just watched her while she wiped the blood away from Lysithea’s smooth unblemished skin. 

“You alright, little Lys?” Edelgard asked. Byleth raised an eyebrow at Lysithea at the nickname and she only glared back at her,  _ don’t you dare. _

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Lysithea replied eventually. They stood together and Lysithea stretched her limbs. “Thanks for saving me. I won’t trouble you again.”

Byleth shouldered her rifle and tucked her hand into her coat pocket. “No trouble. You sure were brave, mouthing off to them like that.”

Lysithea huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “They were idiots. They might’ve lived another day of their pathetic lives if they listened.” 

“You warned ‘em.” Byleth shrugged. 

“And we saved your ass. I’ll think about how to kick it later for the stunt you pulled,” Edelgard huffed, her hand coming up to pinch her brow. “Just what in the hell were you thinking, wandering off like that? You have to be careful, Lys.”

Lysithea immediately protested. “Edelgard, I can take it, I can take care of myself! I don’t need to be doted on.”

“And what if you had gotten Caspar killed?” 

Lysithea gaped and pursed her lips. Her proud bravado was slowly dissipating. Edelgard loomed over the young girl with an unyielding expression. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her jaw was tense, a lion holding back its snarl. It was clear she was trying to hide her frustration.

“While you run with  _ me, _ you will do as I say,” Edelgard spoke quietly and Lysithea flinched as though she had been struck. Her anger didn’t need to be loud, it just needed to be sharp enough. “It ain’t just your life anymore. Had it been the Agarthas, they would’ve killed you and Caspar and skewered your heads on a pike for show, and for us to find. You being high and mighty won’t bring people back, you hear me?”

Lysithea’s eyes were wide and her head sunk after she realized her mistake. She nodded solemnly with a quiet, “Yes, boss”. Byleth watched the whole ordeal, shifting her weight from foot to foot in uncertainty. The air around them was tense that one wrong step felt as though it would trigger a very painful, drawn out land mine.

It was then Byleth remembered what Edelgard had said just before they left camp. How the Agarthas had killed Lysithea’s family and more than likely made her watch. Driven by vengeance and visceral need to be stronger fueled her recklessness. It seemed that Edelgard already knew that, whether from personal experience or observation, Byleth couldn’t tell. 

“...We should head back before the law comes snooping around,” Byleth offered slowly. Edelgard’s eyes turned to her and she was suddenly reminded of the first time they had met. An intense pressure on her ribcage, her heartbeat in her ears as she was struck silent. 

And the flame flickered and Edelgard had visibly relaxed, her eyes cast downwards as she turned her back on the camp, walking towards where they had left their steeds. 

Byleth and Lysithea cleared the area, looting small treasures from the bodies as they went. When they reached their horses, Byleth helped Lysithea up onto Jack before settling in behind her, urging him forward to follow Edelgard back onto the trail. They were fortunate to not cross paths with any travelers on the way. Lysithea had gone deathly quiet and Byleth found that she had dozed off on the ride, more than likely giving into exhaustion from all the events. They rode into camp by sundown, the members awaiting their safe return.

“Boss! Byleth! You’re back!” Caspar had announced brightly, coming up to them as their horses slowed. “With Lysithea too!”

Edelgard put a finger over her lips and he immediately quieted down, realizing that Lysithea was asleep. The leader dismounted her horse and helped Byleth in carrying Lysithea off Jack’s saddle. They slipped her off and she settled into Byleth’s arms.

“Put her by her tent, would you? Meet me down by the river when you’re done,” Edelgard said. Byleth nodded and crossed the camp, not before Lysithea mumbled half-asleep.

“Edelgard, will you let me come robbing with you someday?” she asked sleepily, likely in a haze of her dreams. Edelgard stopped, half turned on her heel to head down to the water. Despite the tense moment they had shared earlier, she let out a lighter chuckle. Lysithea was determined, she could give her that much. Perhaps it was her way of asking for forgiveness.

“Few more like you Lys and we could take over the world,” Edelgard whispered on sleeping ears. 

“Few more like her, there wouldn’t be much of a world left,” Dorothea said endearingly once Byleth reached Lysithea’s tent. Byleth laid Lysithea down on her bedroll gently and Dorothea had shooed her away, indicating that she could handle things from there. The hunter relented and rose again, making her way on the path to meet Edelgard by the river below.

Her path was blocked by Hubert. She sighed.

“What is it, Hubert?” she asked boredly.

“If any harm has come to Madame Edelgard-”

“She’s alive, ain’t she?” Byleth cut him off and his eyes narrowed. “Anything you’re about to ask me, you’d call me a liar anyway. Just be happy everybody made it back, partner.”

“I don’t trust you,” he sneered. “Whatever you’re hiding, I will find out. You may have all the others fooled but no gunslinger in this country robs Cardinal and kills several Agartha members without so much as a scratch. And you just happen to find interest in joining an infamous gang with no questions asked?”

Byleth tilted her head, pretending to ponder his words with disinterest. When in fact she admitted to herself that he wasn’t all threats. He was careful, suspicious for good reason, and he technically wasn’t wrong by any means. 

Still…

“I’ll remind you that Edelgard would’ve strung me up if I didn’t score. That was the deal wasn’t it? I think any other person would’ve done the same thing to keep their skin.” 

He didn’t grant her a response.

“And.” The hunter began as she pulled a tin box of cigarettes from her pocket, a match struck on the heel of her boot before the puff of smoke came to life. The cloud floated up to the sunset sky, obscuring the space between venom green and smug blue. “Edelgard seems to trust me. Are you going against her decisions again?” Byleth asked pointedly, a subtle smirk at his clear irritation. 

“Sleep with your eyes open,  _ girl _ ,” he warned and turned on his heel back to his quarters. Byleth took a slow drag and exhaled through the ash.

_ Icy, that one. _

She continued to wander down the path, through the trees as small forest animals flitted by. She could hear the rush of the river in the clearing, the sun shattering like shards of fading flame over the water. Edelgard was there with her back turned with her eyes on the horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

_ What to do…. What to do…. _

Byleth strode forward and joined her by the river’s edge, the tin of cigarettes offered in her direction. Edelgard thanked her and slipped one from the box, lighting it up between her fingers where the blood had long since dried. With the stick smoldering, Edelgard knelt down by the water and submerged her hands in it, scrubbing away at the dirt and red on her hands and arms. 

“Looks like Caspar will be alright and Dorothea’s watching over little Lys,” Byleth said.

Edelgard made a noncommittal sound in her throat. Her skin was clean now, the water now rolling off her fingertips in slow drips. She made no move to rise from her spot.

“Why’d you ask to meet me out here?”

She exhaled in ash, the cigarette now dangling between her two fingers. “Tell me, Byleth. What’s your reason for living?”

Byleth blinked. If Rhea had told her that an alleged criminal would ask her these soul-searching questions, she might’ve actually laughed in her face, at all her silk fabric and shiny buttons.  _ The hell is she going on about?  _ “Pardon?”

“Y’know. A purpose.” She flicked the ash to the ground, the ember glowing on the grass before dying out. She put the cigarette between her pink lips as the smoke wisped around her curious eyes and raised brow. “Ever had one of them?”

Byleth frowned and crushed the last of her cigarette beneath the twist of her boot. She answered slowly, as if she weren’t sure of the answer herself, but it was the only logical one she could grasp. “Surviving, I guess? Isn’t that what everybody’s trying to do?”

“And for what reason?” Edelgard said, keeping pace on the confusion that undoubtedly painted Byleth’s expression. She pressed, “What’s the point of surviving if you’re just wandering to no end?”

Byleth felt that needle her, a small pinprick on her heart. She twisted her heel a bit more into the grass. In this moment, she was wary of Edelgard. Before, she had effectively silenced her with her presence and skill with a blade. Then, the fierce leader that fought with bruised knuckles to protect her kin, the blossom of her lilac eyes steeled to strike down anyone who got in their way. And now she was looking at Byleth in such a silent regard that it made her hands twitch. She would almost rather be shot. 

“What’s the point of killing all these people, then?” Edelgard added, watching the river rush by, the ghosts of her past floating with it.

Byleth tilted her head towards the sky and away from Edelgard, the fading sun glittered over her dull ocean eyes. She was too close to the heat of Edelgard’s gaze and much too afraid to find what was underneath if this woman had burned her walls away.  _ A glorified murderer, was it?  _

“You’re asking the wrong person, Boss,” the bounty hunter replied, her voice hollow. It was the truest thing she had said since she arrived. “You act like killing is something I cared about.”

No one had ever made her care. Not until she met them, not until they shared the things that were seen as obvious - honesty, loyalty, hypocrisy. All things that were lost on her somewhere along the line because it didn’t benefit to wonder. 

“What about you?” Byleth found herself asking, still wondering about Edelgard. 

And for the first time that day, Edelgard’s lips curved up into a smile, though it was forced. “What about me?”

Byleth gestured blindly towards the sky. “What’s the point, Edelgard? What’s your purpose, since you keep hankering me for it?”

“It’s revenge, Byleth,” Edelgard answered, her thumbs winding into her belt loops. “Nothing more. A debt to collect, to make it simple.”

“What debt is worth that?” 

“Volkhard, the leader of the Agarthas. That  _ bastard _ stole from me and I will hang him from the gallows with my own two hands before I let him take anything else,” Edelgard sneered. Her anger was palpable, with a wildfire heat but grief was there too, weaving between every word.

“And that gives you a reason to live?”

“Make no mistake, Miss Eisner, I am not a good person.” She wasn’t bitter, even if she had raised her voice to make her point perfectly clear. It was a tone of acceptance, one that Byleth didn’t understand. “No matter what the reason, I’ve lived a bad life that has no end. Not a decent one, anyway.”

Byleth was on her wit’s end, exhausted. “Then  _ why _ the Crimson Eagles?”

_ Why murder, why crimes, why any of it? Is it worth the bounty on your head? _

Edelgard walked up to Byleth, standing mere inches away from her. The bounty hunter could smell the floral perfume float into her space, so unlike the rough edges Byleth found herself being caught on. Byleth turned to face her fully, crossing her arms in hopes of concealing that she was imminently frustrated that this woman was so hard to understand. Or maybe the fact that Edelgard should just be a simple job, a target. But nothing about her was simple, it was haunted, it was kind, it was bloodthirsty, and it was warm. If Byleth had killed her sooner, maybe her heart would’ve never felt so heavy.

A gentle hand was placed on her forearm and Byleth flinched. Edelgard’s eyes widened minutely and her hand fell away.

“You’ll have to ask them. The path I walk will be covered in blood and corpses by the time I’m through. And one day, I hope they’ll find something else, a good end. Because I lied to you - they  _ are _ good people.” Edelgard had moved past her, their shoulders brushing as she went. Byleth faced the river where the sun had dissipated into the velvet sky and the stars blurred over the water. 

Edelgard was trying to tell her something but it fell through her grasp, slipping right between her fingers like smoke. The words had barely sank in before the leader spoke again, the hollow night that surrounded her voice made Byleth feel emptier, somehow.

“Vengeance is a fool’s game. I won’t have my family pay the price for it.”

The steps sounded further and further away until the bounty hunter was alone again. She remained still while staring blankly ahead of her as though the trees and woodland animals had answers for her. From her coat pocket, she slipped out a piece of paper with an address written in a loopy script. She could go to town, ask the mail clerk to write out the letter, and turn them in now. She could send for Rhea and her lackeys, collect, and disappear. Back to the life where these emotions were nothing but a hindrance, a snake of confusion wrapped around her ribs, constricting it with every question and doubt.

Whatever it was, she would be rid of it for good. 

She sighed and put her hand on top of her hat, her father’s hat. She hadn’t thought about him in awhile, now she wondered what he would say. If he’d laugh gruffly behind a fan of cards, with a cigar in his mouth, and the burn of whiskey on his breath. If he would say that she was the one that should be hunted, instead. That this kind of cruelty is what made a criminal because she hadn’t cared, because she never saw the reason to change what wasn’t broken. 

_ Papa, will you ever change? _

_ C’mon kid, you love your old man, don’t ya? _

The paper was folded back up and tucked into her pocket again. She pressed on her hat, the way he used to mess with her hair. She turned away from the river, away from Valentine’s direction and followed the path Edelgard walked on. Rhea and the Nabateans could wait. Then the moon watched her go, delaying a cruel fate that would be dealt by her hand, eventually. 

But maybe, if she found the good person Edelgard saw in Byleth and those around her, things could change. That when her time came, as sinner or saint, she could be satisfied with the ending. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated holidays to everyone, I hope everyone has stayed safe! (Peek the new pseud - sorry if that confused anyone!)
> 
> I appreciate everyone who was waiting on this - I was cruel to leave you on a cliff!!! <3 ~~I unfortunately injured my back just before Thanksgiving and I've been busy doing surgery since then in the end of the year.~~
> 
> I hope you enjoyed an imminently confused and "what are morals" Byleth & the CE leader at her finest despite her mysteriousness. Drop a kudos, comment, and feedback with what you think! Thank you!
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/EdelgardEisner) for updates & gay chaos! (I have yet another project coming out in February, stay tuned~)


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